Poa sinaica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–65 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 3–12 cm long; 1.5–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic, or oblong; dense; (3–)6–13 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–4 -nate. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 6–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume elliptic; 3–4 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; oblong in profile; 3.5–5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.5–2.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pak.

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