Poa douglasii

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths papery. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 15–30 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 5–15 cm long; 1 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted, or spiciform; oblong, or ovate; 2–5 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 6–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 4–6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4–6 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 6–7 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5–7 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous (above); pubescent; hairy below. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma margins pubescent. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned all along. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

MALE Male inflorescence similar to female. Male spikelets resembling female.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA.

NOTES Poeae. Man US Gr 1994.

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