大药早熟禾 da yao zao shu he

Perennials, loosely to densely tufted, without rhizomes; shoots extra- and intravaginal. Culms 40–55 cm tall, rounded, smooth, glabrous, nodes 2–4, 1 or 2 exserted, uppermost at mid-culm. Leaf sheath shorter than internode, smooth, glabrous, 10–11 cm, slightly compressed, uppermost closed for over 1/5–1/4 of length, old basal sheaths persisting, becoming fibrous, overlapping; blade flat or folded, moderately thin, 3–15 cm, uppermost shortest, 1–3 mm wide, surfaces smooth or sparsely scabrid, glabrous; ligule (1–)1.5–3 mm, abaxially smooth or sparsely scabrid, apex obtuse. Panicle open, diffuse, 8–15 cm; branches ascending to spreading, 2–3 per node, slender, smooth throughout or distally scabrid angled, longest to 5 cm with 8 spikelets in distal 1/2; flowers female or perfect. Spikelets elliptic to lanceolate, green or purple, 5.6–7 mm, florets 3 or 4; vivipary absent; rachilla internodes to 2 mm, smooth, glabrous, exposed; glumes lanceolate, smooth or sparsely scabrid on keel, lower glume 3–4 mm, 3-veined, upper glume 3.5–5 mm, 3-veined; lemmas lanceolate, very thinly papery, 4–5.5 mm, purple above veins, apex acuminate, keel villous for 1/2 length, marginal veins to 1/3, intermediate veins prominent, area between them glabrous, above sparsely scabrid; callus weakly webbed, hairs sparse, short; palea keels scabrid, medially pilulose to shortly villous. Anthers 2.5–3 mm. Fl. and fr. Jun–Jul.

* Riversides in ravines, subalpine meadows along forest margins; 2500–3300 m. Xinjiang (Kunlun Shan, Tian Shan).

The placement of this species near Poa smirnowii is controversial. The type, examined by M. V. Olonova, has sheaths open for 1/5–1/4 their length and scabrid-angled panicle branches. This argues against any relationship to P. smirnowii and inclines us to think it might be better placed in P. subg. Stenopoa.