GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Poa wardiana

HABIT Perennial. Butt sheaths herbaceous; withering, or persistent and investing base of culm. Culms decumbent; 20–35 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long; lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades 4–8 cm long; 2 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute; hooded.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 12 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate. Panicle branches flexuous; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5 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 oblong; 2.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.5 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; purple; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma oblong; oblong in profile; 3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous; ciliate; hairy below. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.75 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Bor.

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