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Descriptions

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

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

Poa scaberula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 20–80 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3.5 mm long; scaberulous on abaxial surface; acute. Leaf-blades 4–15 cm long; 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; oblong; interrupted; 5–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–3 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3.5–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough above. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 2.5–3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy below. Lemma surface puberulous; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, western South America, and southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pat 1995.

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