Poa crassinervis

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms decumbent; 10–30 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Lateral branches ample. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5–0.66 of their length closed; 2–6 cm long; smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.8–2.5 mm long; white. Leaf-blades 4–10 cm long; 1.8–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 6–10 cm long; 2–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1–3 -nate; simple; 2–5 cm long; bearing 6–12 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–1.5 mm long; smooth.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; 1.5–2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.2–1.7 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2–3.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.5–0.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: eastern Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Koyama 1994.

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