Poa tibetica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths herbaceous; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 17–65 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4.5 mm long; lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or convolute; 6–20 cm long; 4–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 5–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 2–4 -nate. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 6–7 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 lanceolate, or elliptic; 2.8–4.5 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex erose; acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 3.5–5.5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex erose; acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 4–5.25 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma surface asperulous; puberulous; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. 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 Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, China, and Mongolia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pak.

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