Poa fauriei

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms decumbent; 20–60 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 4–12 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; nodding; 2–10 cm long; 1–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate; bearing 1–5 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches smooth, or with occasional prickles, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–4.7 mm long; 1 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; 3.5–4.7 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; elliptic in profile; 4–5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5(–7) -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy at base; hairy on veins. Lemma apex erose; obtuse. Palea keels scaberulous; ciliolate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2–3 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.