星早熟禾 xing zao shu he

Perennial, rhizomatous; shoots extravaginal. Culms erect, 40–50 cm, 1–2 mm in diam., nearly smooth, nodes 3 or 4. Leaf sheaths smooth, usually longer than internodes, uppermost ca. 11 cm, ca. 3/4 as long as blade; blades flat, thin, 5–20 cm × 2–3 mm, distinctly longer upward along culm, apex slender prow-tipped; ligules 2.5–3 mm, abaxially puberulent, apex truncate. Panicle open, narrowly pyramidal, 10–15 × 2–3 cm, longest internodes ca. 2 cm; branches ascending, usually 5 per node, capillary, scabrid, longest ca. 3 cm with 6–9 moderately crowded spikelets in distal 4/5. Spikelets narrowly lanceolate, 3.5–4 mm, florets 2; vivipary absent; glumes narrowly lanceolate, equal, as long as spikelet, apex acuminate, keels scabrid from near base, lower glume 3.8–4 mm, 3-veined, upper glume 4.1–4.5 mm, 3-veined; lemmas narrowly lanceolate, 3–3.3 mm, keel shortly villous for 1/2 of length, marginal veins for 1/4, area between veins glabrous; callus webbed, hairs short; palea "hyaline," distinctly shorter than lemma. Anthers 0.7–0.8 mm (doubtfully mature, presumably over 1.2 mm at maturity). Fl. and fr. Aug.

* About 400 m. Heilongjiang.

Except for its rhizomatous habit, this species seems different from other members of Poa subg. Poa and is only tentatively placed here. It is known only from the type, which we have not seen, but the description and illustration suggest the plant may be immature. The illustration looks somewhat like immature specimens of P. compressa, with a Koeleria-like inflorescence at anthesis. We wonder if it could be a species of P. subg. Stenopoa, perhaps P. sphondylodes or P. versicolor subsp. ochotensis with an odd habit.