Poa veresczaginii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes short. Culms 17–30 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5–0.75 of their length closed; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2.5–4 mm long; 0.5–1.5 mm long on basal shoots. Leaf-blades 1.5–3.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 3.5–8 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; membranous; 1-keeled. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; membranous; 1-keeled. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; membranous, or coriaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.7–3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, China, and Mongolia.

NOTES Poeae. Tsvelev 1995.

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