Poa tenella Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 69. 1753.

Annual. Culms slender, 15–60 cm tall, erect or geniculate at base, 3–4-noded. Leaf sheaths shorter than internodes, pilose along margin and summit; ligules a line of short hairs; leaf blades flat, 2–10 × 0.3–0.5 cm, adaxial surface scabrous, abaxial surface glabrous and smooth. Panicle open; branches solitary or clustered, long pilose in axils, branchlet and pedicels glandular. Spikelets ovate or oblong-ovate, ca. 2 mm, 4–10-flowered; rachilla disarticulated between florets from above downward at maturity. Glumes membranous, 1-veined, lower glume ca. 0.8 mm, upper glume ca. 1 mm, falling off when mature. Lemmas broadly ovate, apex obtuse, lower lemma ca. 1 mm. Palea persistent or tardily deciduous, long ciliate along keels, hairs rigidly spreading at maturity. Stamens 3; anthers ca. 0.3 mm. Caryopsis red, ovoid, ca. 0.5 mm. Fl. and fr. Apr–Aug. 2n = 20.

Moist places. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hubei, Shandong, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan [Old World tropics].