Poa saltuensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms weak; 30–60(–100) cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 6–15 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; nodding; 5–10 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches ascending; 2–3 -nate. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 3–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; elliptic in profile; 2.5–3.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. 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 North America: eastern Canada, north-central USA, northeast USA, and southeast USA.

NOTES Poeae. Man US Gr 1997.

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