Poa suavis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms erect; 9–30 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; 0.5 mm long on basal shoots; scaberulous on abaxial surface; acute. Leaf-blades erect; filiform; involute; 4.5–7 cm long; 0.5–0.6 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 1.7–3.4 cm long; 0.8–1.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1–3 -nate; 0.7–1.3 cm long; bearing 2–9 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2.5–3.25 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.4–0.5 mm long; smooth. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.1–1.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.35–1.6 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.4–2.25 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3–5 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous. Rhachilla extension 1–1.5 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Papuasia.

NOTES Poeae. Veldkamp 1995.

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