Poa fibrifera

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons absent, or present. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms geniculately ascending; 20–60 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–5 mm long; erose; obtuse. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 2–3.8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 10–16 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–4 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–3.5 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 4.2–5.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned all along. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.4–2.7 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Tovar 1995.

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