Poa oscariana

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 60 cm long; 2(–4) -noded. Culm-internodes 6–14 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; 15–20 cm long; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 6–9 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades flexuous; conduplicate; 15–30 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 15–18 cm long.

Panicle open; elliptic, or ovate; 15–18 cm long; 3 cm wide; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches ascending; 2–4 -nate; 8 cm long; bearing 13–15 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 4.5–5 mm long; 4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; glabrous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume elliptic; 0.5–3.7 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4–4.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets alike but female above. Fertile lemma oblong; 4–4.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with distinct primaries but obscure intermediates. Lemma apex cuspidate. Palea 3.5 mm long. Palea keels scaberulous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.8–2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Negritto & Anton 2007.

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