GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Poa radula

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 40–120 cm long; 1–2.2 mm diam.; 2–4 -noded. Culm-internodes elliptical in section; retrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5 of their length closed; keeled; retrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades 20–30 cm long; 5–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle retrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle open; ovate; 20–30 cm long; 5–8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 4–7 -nate; 3–10 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; laterally compressed; 4–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.8–3.5 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; elliptic in profile; 3.5–4.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein pubescent; hairy below. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below; hairy on veins. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet far east and eastern Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Koyama 1994.

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