Poa strictiramea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30–40 cm long; 3 -noded. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 15–20 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 10 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches ascending; 2 -nate; 5–6 cm long. Panicle branches stiff.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

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

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough generally. Lemma apex acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION North America: south-central USA and Mexico.

NOTES Poeae. Hitchcock 1995.

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