Poa simensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms slender; 15–50 cm long; wiry. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; 5–20 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 6–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 4.5–5.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas. Floret callus glabrous, or woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–3.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 2.5–4 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3–4.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate; hairy below. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex acute.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.6–2.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eth 1995.

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