Poa altaica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 10–30 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; acute. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 5–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–4 -nate. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 2.5–3.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate; hairy below. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface scaberulous; pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliolate; hairy below. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

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

NOTES Poeae. Fl USSR 1995.

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