Poa calliopsis Litv. ex Ovcz.

Most material placed here is of low-growing plants with long, slender rhizomes and delicate panicles with pendent spikelet clusters. Hybrids with Poa qinghaiensis are occasionally found in the NE Xizang-Qinghai Plateau. Intermediates are stouter and have larger spikelets and more scabrid lemma and palea keels than are typical for P. calliopsis, but the lemmas are strongly pubescent on the keel and marginal veins. Such plants are difficult to separate from P. lipskyi, except that they have the more pendent spikelet clusters typical of P. calliopsis and P. qinghaiensis, and often a trace of webbing on the callus, and might be referred to P. pratensis subsp. staintonii.

A very handsome species with broadly blunt lemmas variegated with yellow and purple. Found at high altitudes between 4300 and 5500m.

Perennials, with small tufts or isolated shoots, with slender rhizomes; shoots extravaginal. Culms erect, mostly solitary, 3–15(–25) cm tall, 0.5–1 mm in diam., smooth, nodes 1 or 2(–3), none or 1 exserted, uppermost 1/5–1/3 way up. Leaf sheaths smooth, ribs indistinct, lower ones 1.5–2 mm wide, 1.5–6.5 cm, 1–4 × as long as blade, uppermost closed for 1/3 of length, basal ones soon becoming fibrous, not persisting; blade flat or folded, moderately thin, 0.3–4 cm × 1–3 mm, abaxially smooth, adaxially smooth or finely scabrid, glabrous, margins scabrid, apex prow-tipped, of tillers and lower culm frequently curved, 1–4(–7) cm; ligule 0.5–2(–3) mm, abaxially smooth, apex truncate to obtuse, collars smooth, glabrous, uppermost erect or slightly divergent. Panicle initially contracted, ovoid, later open and pyramidal, 1.2–5 × 1.5–4 cm, longest internodes 0.25–1.3 cm; branches (1 or)2 per node, eventually spreading to reflexed, flexuous, rounded, smooth or distally scabrid, longest 0.7–2.5 cm, with 2–12 spikelets clustered distally; flowers perfect or female, sometimes whole inflorescence female. Spikelets broadly elliptic or ovate, golden tawny or purple, 3.5–4.5 mm, florets (1–)2 or 3; vivipary usually absent; rachilla internodes 0.3–0.6 mm, smooth, glabrous; glumes elliptic or ovate or subflabellate, subequal, smooth or keel with a few hooks, lower glume (2–) 2.25–3.3 mm, 1- or 3-veined, upper glume (2.2–)2.5–3.8 mm, 3-veined; lemmas broadly oblong, slightly arched along keel, 2.75–4.2(–4.7) mm, upper 1/4–1/2 membranous, turning golden-brownish, apex obtuse to acute, keel villous for 1/2 of length, marginal veins villous for 1/4 of length, area between veins smooth, glabrous or infrequently proximally pilulose; callus webbed, hairs dense, 1/2 as long as lemma; palea glabrous or proximally pilulose between keels, keels sparsely scabrid, 2–6 hooks per keel. Anthers 1.5–2 mm, or vestigial, ca. 0.1 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul–Aug. 2n = 28.

Rhizomatous perennial; culms 5-15cm high, erect, clothed at the base with the fibrous remains of old leaf-sheaths. Leaf-blades usually folded, sometimes flat, 1-4cm long, 1.5-2mm wide, abruptly contracted to a blunt tip, minutely scabrid on the margins; ligule blunt, 1.5-2mm long. Panicle oblong or pyramidal, 1.5-4.5mm long, the spikelets in clumps at the tips of the branches; branches paired or solitary, straight or flexuous, capillary, eventually spreading horizontally or deflexed, smooth or scaberulous. Spikelets (1-)2-3-flowered, broadly elliptic or ovate, 35-4mm long, variegated with yellow and purple; glumes subequal, elliptic or ovate, 2.3-2.8mm long, the lower 1(-3)-nerved, the upper broader, 3-nerved; lemmas oblong in side view, 2.7-3.5mm long, rounded at the tip, long-ciliate on the keel and marginal nerves, with copious wool at the base; palea a little shorter than the lemma, the keels smooth below, with a few blunt teeth above; anthers 1.5-2mm long.

Himalaya, Tibet, N. Asia.

Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan].

Distribution: Kashmir; Himalayas, Tibet and USSR (Central Asia).

4900-5600 m

Fl. & Fr. Per.: July-August.

Alpine areas, meadows, waterside grassy places; 3000–3700 (–5400) m.

Poa phariana Bor.