Poa supina

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths herbaceous. Culms decumbent; 6–25 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1–7 cm long; 2–3 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 2–3 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1–2 -nate. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 3.5–5 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 oblong; 1.5–1.7 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 2.5–3.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels woolly; adorned in the middle. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; (1.2–)1.6–2(–2.5) mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, western Asia, China, and Mongolia. Asia-tropical: India. South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pak.

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