Poa ramifera

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 80–100 cm long; 1–1.5 mm diam.; 7–10 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5–1 of their length closed; scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 2–15 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib keeled beneath. Leaf-blade venation with 6–7 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 20–60 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; elliptic; 4–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1–2(–3) -nate; 2.5–5.5 cm long; bearing 3–10 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising (2–)3–4(–5) fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.6–1.1 mm long; scaberulous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; with lower narrower than upper; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.2–2.4 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.9–3.2 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets alike but female above. Fertile lemma ovate; 3.3–3.8 mm long; 0.7–1.1 mm wide; membranous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins with distinct primaries but obscure intermediates. Lemma surface asperulous; rough between veins. Lemma margins without distinctive roughness, or scaberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea surface scaberulous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; lanceolate; 0.2–0.6 mm long; membranous; glabrous; with a small lateral lobe; obtuse. Anthers 3; 2–2.8 mm long. Stigmas plumose. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; lanceolate; 1.7–2 mm long. Hilum elliptic. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis and palea.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Soreng & Peterson 2012.

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