Poa platyantha

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm. Culms 20–100 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–4 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong, or pyramidal; 11–13 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1–5 cm long. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3–5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Vegetative proliferation occurs.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet far east.

NOTES Poeae. Fl USSR 1995.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.