Checklist |
Corresponding author: Steven P. Sylvester ( steven_sylvester@hotmail.com ) Academic editor: Reyjane Patricia Oliveira
© 2016 Steven P. Sylvester, Robert J. Soreng, Paul M. Peterson, Mitsy D.P.V. Sylvester.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Sylvester SP, Soreng RJ, Peterson PM, Mitsy Sylvester MDPV (2016) An updated checklist and key to the open-panicled species of Poa L. (Poaceae) in Peru including three new species, Poa ramoniana, Poa tayacajaensis, and Poa urubambensis. PhytoKeys 65: 57-90. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.65.7024
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We provide an updated checklist and key to the 30 Poa species with open panicles from Peru which includes previously circumscribed Dissanthelium and Aphanelytrum species, new taxon records, and three undescribed species. Poa compressa, P. grisebachii, and P. leioclada are recorded from Peru for the first time. A number of species are placed in synonymy: Poa carazensis, P. ferreyrae and P. tovarii are synonymized under the name P. fibrifera; Poa adusta (tentatively) and P. pilgeri are synonymized under P. candamoana; Poa superata is synonymized under P. grisebachii; and Poa paramoensis is synonymized under P. huancavelicae. Included within this treatment are three new species, Poa ramoniana, P. tayacajaensis and P. urubambensis, which are described and illustrated. Poa ramoniana, found growing near lakes in high elevation Puna grasslands of Junín, is similar to a small form of P. glaberrima, but differs in having rhizomes and growing to only 5 cm tall. Poa tayacajaensis, found from shrublands on Andean slopes of Huancavelica and Huánuco, bears similarities to Poa aequatoriensis but differs in having shorter lemmas which are pubescent between the veins, densely scabrous sheaths with smooth, glabrous throats, and shorter ligules. Poa urubambensis, a common element of the undisturbed Polylepis forest understory of the Cordillera Urubamba, Cusco, is distinct from all other members of open-panicled Poa’s by having glabrous lemmas with a smooth and glabrous callus, and notably small anthers. The type material for the name Poa adusta is discussed and a lectotype is selected.
Aportamos una lista actualizada y una clave para las 30 especies de Poa con panículas abiertas de Perú que incluye las especies de Dissanthelium y Aphanelytrum anteriormente circunscritas, nuevos registros de taxones y tres especies no descritas. Poa compressa, P. grisebachii, y P. leioclada se registran para Perú por primera vez. Un número de especies son sinonimizadas: Poa carazensis, P. ferreyrae y P. tovarii son sinonimizadas bajo el nombre de P. fibrifera; Poa adusta (tentativamente) y P. pilgeri son sinonimizadas bajo el nombre de P. candamoana; Poa superata es sinonimizada bajo P. grisebachii; y Poa paramoensis es sinonimizada bajo P. huancavelicae. Dentro de este tratamiento se incluyen dos especies nuevas, Poa ramoniana, P. tayacajaensis y P. urubambensis que a continuación se describen e ilustran. Poa ramoniana, que se encuentra creciendo en pastizales de alta elevación cercanos a lagos en la Puna de Junín, es similar a la forma pequeña de P. glaberrima, pero se diferencia por tener rizomas y crecer hasta sólo 5 cm de altura. Poa tayacajaensis, que se encuentra en matorrales de las laderas andinas de Huancavelica y Huánuco, tiene un parecido a Poa aequatoriensis, pero se diferencia por tener lemas cortas que son pubescentes entre las venas, vainas densamente escabrosas con suaves gargantas glabras, y lígulas cortas. Poa urubambensis, un elemento común de sotobosque no perturbado de los bosques de Polylepis de la Cordillera Urubamba, Cusco, se distingue de todos los otros miembros de Poa con panícula-abierta por tener lemas glabras con un callo suave y glabro, y sus notables anteras pequeñas. El material tipo del nombre Poa adusta es discutido y un lectotipo es seleccionado.
Checklist, Gramineae , new species, Peru, Poa , Pooideae , Polylepis forest, Pooideae , Puna grassland, grass taxonomy
The genus Poa L. is the largest genus of the Poaceae, containing over 500 species with a large distribution across temperate areas of the globe (
To this point, 51 species had been accepted in Poa for Peru (
Our objective is to provide an up-to-date summary of the open-panicled species of Poa in Peru including locality information using verified specimens and discussion of nomenclatural and taxonomic attributes, with the new species, Poa ramoniana, P. tayacajaensis and P. urubambensis, being described and illustrated. Two keys are provided to aid with identification of the open-panicled Poa. The main key first uses anther length to separate taxa while the Suppl. material
In this treatment, glabrous means without pubescence (in the sense of slender, relatively soft hairs). Smooth indicates no prickle-hairs with broad bases and/or hooked or pointed apices (i.e., pubescence can occur on a smooth surface, and a rough or scabrous surface can be glabrous). Specimen localities in the checklist are cited by political region (also historically called ‘departamento’) (capital letters) and then province. Only herbaria where specimens have been checked and verified by the authors have been cited (acronyms following Thiers, continuously updated): Mainly
Of the 32 species of Poa with open-panicles previously recognized in Peru (
The new species, Poa urubambensis, was found in remote areas of the Cordillera Urubamba, southern Peru, during recent fieldwork by the first author. While reviewing Peruvian specimens of open-panicled Poa from collections in the United States National Herbarium and Missouri Botanical Garden, a further two undescribed species, Poa ramoniana and Poa tayacajaensis, were discovered. Poa ramoniana was discovered from collections by eminent Peruvian botanist, Ramón Alejandro Ferreyra, from Junín. Poa tayacajaensis was discovered from collections by the renowned Peruvian agrostologist, Óscar Tovar Serpa, from the province of Tayacaja, Huancavelica.
We report new species records for: Poa cf. leioclada Hack., previously considered endemic to Ecuador (
1 | Lemmas with bifid apexes that are mucronate to short-awned; spikelets glabrous, with long rachillas 1.2–4.2 mm long; glumes short, less than ½ the length of the florets, sometimes absent | 2 |
– | Lemmas with obtuse to acute apexes, never bifid, mucronate or short awned; spikelets usually with some form of indumentum, less often glabrous, with short rachillas rarely longer than 1.2 mm; glumes less than half to equaling the length of the spikelet, never absent | 3 |
2 (1) | Glumes veinless, 0.1−0.5 (–0.7) mm long, minute or absent; plants straggling and stooling; culms 30–80(–100) cm tall | P. hitchcockiana |
– | Glumes veined, 1−2 mm long, lower glume 1-veined, upper glume 3- or 4-veined; plants caespitose; culms 14−24 cm tall | P. sanchez-vegae |
3 (1) | Glumes exceeding the florets; spikelets 2-flowered; lemmas 3 (rarely 5)-veined, glabrous, smooth or scaberulous; low tufted (sometimes rhizomatous in P. trollii) perennial plants mostly less than 10 cm tall; panicles 1–3.3 cm long | 4 |
– | Glumes shorter than the proximal floret; spikelets 2–4(–6)-flowered; lemmas 5(or 7)-veined, glabrous or pubescent, smooth or variously scabrous; annual or perennial plants of various habits, ranging mostly from 10–120 cm tall; panicles longer (sometimes short in the annuals) | 6 |
4 (3) | Anthers 2–2.2 mm long in staminate specimens, vestigial in pistillate specimens; lemmas smooth throughout; plants sometimes rhizomatous | P. trollii |
– | Anthers <1 mm long in lower floret of spikelets, sometimes vestigial in upper floret; lemmas scaberulous, at least on the keels (rarely smooth in P. calycina); plants densely tufted | 5 |
5 (4) | Leaf blade abaxial surface shiny with veins indistinct | P. calycina |
– | Leaf blade abaxial surface dull with veins apparent | P. swallenii |
6 (3) | Longest anthers of proximal florets 0.2–1.5 mm long | 7 |
– | Longest anthers of proximal florets (1.2–)1.6–3.2 mm long | 16 |
7 (6) | Plants annual; palea keels distinctly pubescent in part (very rarely glabrous) always without any hooks; callus glabrous | 8 |
– | Plants perennial; palea keels glabrous or pubescent in part, but always scabrous in part; callus glabrous or webbed, i.e. with long silky hairs (sometimes sparse) emerging from below the lemma keel (at least of the lower florets) | 9 |
8 (7) | Anthers 0.2–0.5(–0.6) mm long; panicle branches ascending, spikelets usually crowded; foliage light green; plants ephemeral | P. infirma |
– | Anthers 0.6–1 mm long; panicle branches ascending to spreading, spikelets loosely arranged; foliage usually darker green; plants infrequently persisting for more than one season | P. annua |
9 (7) | Culm nodes strongly compressed, lower culm nodes exposed; culms wiry; plants strongly rhizomatous with isolated shoots; all florets of spikelets hermaphroditic (sometimes anthers aborted late in development) | P. compressa |
– | Combination of characters not as above; culm nodes terete or slightly compressed, lower culm nodes usually held within sheaths; culms varying from wiry to robust; plants tufted or rhizomatous; all florets of spikelets hermaphroditic, or upper floret(s) within spikelets sometimes pistillate, with rudimentary stamens (i.e. gynomonoecious) | 10 |
10 (9) | Callus glabrous | P. urubambensis |
– | Callus webbed, i.e. with long silky hairs (sometimes sparse) emerging from below the lemma keel (at least of the lower florets) | 11 |
11 (10) | Leaf blades filiform or slightly broader, involute or subinvolute towards the base, 0.5–2 mm wide when expanded; lower lemma 3–4 (5?) mm long, glabrous; web only (web sometimes v. short and sparse, and present on basal florets only) | P. pauciflora |
– | Leaf blades flat or folded, usually >2 mm wide when expanded; lower lemma 2.3–6 mm long, variously glabrous or pubescent | 12 |
12 (11) | Upper ligules 0.9–2(–3) mm long, truncate; plants distinctly rhizomatous; lower sheaths smooth, sometimes lightly pubescent; lower lemma keel and marginal veins distinctly pubescent; spikelets with 2–6 florets; all florets of spikelets hermaphroditic (sometimes anthers aborted late in development) | P. pratensis |
– | Combination of characters not as above; upper ligules 0.2–10 mm long, acute or rarely truncate; plants tufted (weakly rhizomatous in P. huancavelicae); lower sheaths smooth to densely scabrous; lower lemma keel and marginal veins varying in indumentum from glabrous to short pubescent; spikelets with 2–3 florets; upper floret within spikelets sometimes pistillate, with rudimentary stamens | 13 |
13 (12) | Leaf blades folded, apex prominently naviculate (prow-tipped); plants weakly rhizomatous; lemma keels and marginal veins smooth or scaberulous, glabrous; callus webbing the only indumentum present in the spikelet | P. huancavelicae |
– | Leaf blades flat, apex not, or not prominently, naviculate; plants tufted, occasionally stooling and rooting at nodes; lemma keels short pubescent in the lower ½, sometimes sparingly so on the marginal veins near the base (rarely glabrous in P. aequatoriensis); spikelet indumentum consisting of lemma pubescence (as mentioned above) and callus webbing | 14 |
14 (13) | Spikelet proximal lemmas pubescent on keel, lateral, and marginal veins; distal lemmas pubescent between the veins; sheaths densely scabrous; ligules 2–3.5 mm long | P. tayacajaensis |
– | Combination of characters not as above; spikelet proximal lemmas glabrous or sparingly pubescent on the keel, and sometimes marginal veins; distal lemmas often glabrous throughout; sheaths smooth to densely scabrous; ligules 1–10 mm long | 15 |
15 (14) | Lower culm sheaths usually puberulent in the throat margins and/or along the collar margins, surfaces smooth to lightly scabrous; upper culm leaf ligules 1–5(–7) mm long, abaxially puberulous or scabrous; lowest floret of spikelets hermaphroditic, upper florets commonly pistillate; spikelets 3.5–5 mm long; lower lemma 3.6–4 mm long, intermediate veins faint to moderately pronounced; palea keels usually finely scabrous to some degree; anthers mostly 0.6–1.5 mm long | P. aequatoriensis |
– | Lower culm sheaths glabrous in the throat margins, surfaces nearly smooth to densely scabrous; upper culm leaf ligules 4–10 mm long, abaxially smooth or faintly scabrous; all florets of spikelets hermaphroditic; spikelets 2.3–3.5(–4) mm long; lower lemma 2.3–3(–3.5) mm long, intermediate veins distinctly pronounced; palea keels usually muriculate, sometimes minutely scabrous; anthers (1) 1.3–1.6 (1.8) mm long | P. trivialis |
16 (6) | Lemmas glabrous, smooth or scabrous (rarely sericeous at the base in P. ramifera); callus glabrous | 17 |
– | Lemmas, at least of the upper florets, pubescent or villous in their lower half (rarely scabrous-pubescent in P. kurtzii), or glabrous but then callus webbed, i.e. with long silky hairs emerging from below the lemma keel; callus glabrous or webbed | 26 |
17 (16) | Culms erect, aerially branching well up the culm with lateral shoots that persist and flower in subsequent seasons | P. ramifera |
– | Culms not branching, or branching only near the base, or from decumbent culms | 18 |
18 (17) | Summit of sheathes with prominent triangular auricles; spikelets 4–6-flowered | P. auriculata |
– | Sheathes without auricles; spikelets 2–6-flowered | 19 |
19 (18) | Lemmas surface completely smooth (sometimes distally obscurely to sparsely scaberulous in P. ramoniana but then plants 4–6 cm tall and ligules <1 mm long) | 20 |
– | Lemmas slightly to strikingly scabrous between and on veins | 23 |
20 (19) | Plants 4–6 cm tall; rhizomatous; ligules <1 mm long | P. ramoniana |
– | Plants >10 cm tall; tufted or, if rhizomatous >100 cm tall; ligules 2–7 mm long | 21 |
21 (20) | Leaf blades smooth throughout, (2–)4–9 cm long, 1–2(–2.5) mm wide when blade flattened | P. glaberrima |
– | Leaf blades densely scabrous throughout, 8–40 cm long, 3–10 mm wide when blade flattened | 22 |
22 (21) | Leaf blades conspicuously folded; plants 25–35 cm tall, tufted | P. gilgiana |
– | Leaf blades flat; plants 100–150 cm tall, rhizomatous | P. ayacuchensis |
23 (19) | Leaf blades involute or the margins distinctly involute (rarely simply folded in P. kurtzii), densely scabrous (at least abaxially), firm to rigid; plants tufted; ligules (2.5–)5–15 mm long | 24 |
– | Leaf blades flat or folded, margins rarely distinctly involute, glabrous or lightly scabrous, lax or firm; plants erect (P. fibrifera) or rhizomatous (P. oscariana), sometimes tufted; ligules 1–7(–9) mm long | 25 |
24 (23) | Ligules 8–15 mm long; panicles narrowly ovate, panicle branches ascending and subappressed, panicles included in the sheaths; lemmas scabrous | P. pearsonii |
– | Ligules (2.5–)5–8 mm long; panicles amply ovate, panicle branches patent or reflexed, panicles exerted; lemmas scabrous or scabrous-pilose | P. kurtzii |
25 (23) | Lower leaf sheaths often fibrous; ligules 1.5–5(–6) mm long; blades lax; spikelets 3–5-flowered, 5–9 mm long; anthers 2.4–3.5 mm long; rachilla internodes well exposed | P. fibrifera |
– | Lower leaf sheaths not fibrous; ligules 6–9 mm long; blades somewhat firm; spikelets 2–3-flowered, 4.5–5 mm long; anthers 1.8–2 mm long; rachilla internodes short (compare with P. gilgiana) | P. oscariana |
26 (16) | Callus glabrous; lemmas (at least the distal ones within a spikelet) softly villous-pubescent in their lower half | 27 |
– | Callus webbed, i.e. with long silky hairs (sometimes sparse) emerging from below the lemma keel (at least of the lower florets); lemmas glabrous or distinctly to sparsely villous or serious pubescent along the keel and marginal veins only | 30 |
27 (26) | Plants (30–)60–150 cm tall; leaf blades flat, sometimes folded towards their apices, usually more than 3 and up to 10 mm wide; inflorescence branches commonly verticillate; plants (sub-)rhizomatous with extravaginal shoots (if blades rather firm and folded but broad as in P. horridula, compare with P. gilgiana, possibly hybrids) | P. horridula |
– | Plants usually <35 cm tall; leaf blades involute to narrowly convolute and 0.5–2 mm wide, or flat to folded and 1–5 mm wide in P. grisebachii; inflorescence branches solitary or paired (often 3 branches in basal nodes of P. grisebachii); plants usually with only intravaginal shoots | 28 |
28 (27) | Leaf blade abaxial surface densely scabrous; ligules (2.5–)5–8 mm long, acute; lemmas scabrous-pilose; plants of semi-arid habitats | P. kurtzii |
– | Leaf blade abaxial surface glabrous to scaberulous with prickles or hooks usually restricted to the leaf margin; ligules 0.5–3 mm long, truncate; lemmas pilose-villous towards base; plants of mesic or more arid habitats | 29 |
29 (28) | Leaf blades usually involute, apex narrowly but abruptly naviculate (prow-tipped); spikelets usually 3-flowered, (2.8–)4.3–5.5 mm long; culm basal sheath bases slightly inflated, shiny, and tough; plants of more mesic Puna, mostly 3700–4500 m | P. candamoana |
– | Leaf blades flat or folded, somewhat lax, apex often tapered to a long slender point; spikelets 3–6-flowered, (5–)6–7.2 mm long; culm basal sheaths not as above; plants of more arid zones between 3000 and 4000 m (appears to hybridize with P. kurtzii where the two overlap) | P. grisebachii |
30 (26) | Leaf blades filiform or slightly broader, involute or sub-involute towards the base, 0.5–2 mm wide when expanded; lower lemma 3–4 (5?) mm long, glabrous; web only (web sometimes v. short and sparse, and present on basal florets only) | P. pauciflora |
– | Leaf blades flat or folded, usually >2 mm wide when expanded; lower lemma 2.3–6 mm long, variously glabrous or pubescent | 31 |
31 (30) | Basal sheaths glabrous and densely scabrous; lemmas smooth (or lightly scabrous near the apex), glabrous; web only | P. scabrivaginata |
– | Basal sheaths glabrous or lightly pubescent, smooth or lightly scabrous, or if densely scabrous then lemmas pubescent at least on the keel; lemmas smooth or scabrous, glabrous or pubescent in part | 32 |
32 (31) | Upper ligules 0.9–2(–3) mm long, truncate; plants distinctly rhizomatous; lower sheaths smooth, sometimes lightly pubescent; lower lemma keel and marginal veins distinctly pubescent; spikelets with 2–6 florets; all florets of spikelets hermaphroditic (sometimes anthers aborted late in development) | P. pratensis |
– | Combination of characters not as above; upper ligules 0.2–10 mm long, acute or rarely truncate; plants tufted (usually with short rhizomatous shoots in P. huancavelicae and prominent sub-rhizomatous extravaginal shoots present in P. leioclada); lower sheaths smooth to densely scabrous; spikelets with 2–3(–4) florets; upper floret within spikelets hermaphroditic (i.e. P. trivialis) or commonly pistillate, with rudimentary stamens (i.e. P. huancavelicae, P. cf. leioclada) | 33 |
33 (32) | Leaf blades folded, apex prominently naviculate (prow-tipped); plants weakly rhizomatous; lemma keels and marginal veins smooth or scaberulous, glabrous; web only | P. huancavelicae |
– | Leaf blades flat, apex not, or not prominently, naviculate; plants tufted, occasionally stooling and rooting at nodes (or with prominent sub-rhizomatous shoots present at the base in P. leioclada); lemma keels short pubescent in the lower ½, sometimes sparingly so on the marginal veins near the base | 34 |
34 (33) | Spikelets glomerate on branches; culm leaf ligules 1–2 (–2.5) mm long, truncate or obtuse; short sub-rhizomatous shoots usually prominent at the base of the plant, these extravaginal, with brown cataphylls; spikelet proximal lemmas pubescent on keel, lateral, and marginal veins; distal lemmas often pubescent between the veins; spikelets 2–4-flowered; sheaths smooth; leaf blades mostly folded, sometimes flat, firm; lowest floret of spikelets hermaphroditic, upper florets commonly pistillate | P. cf. leioclada |
– | Spikelets diffuse throughout the panicle; culm leaf ligules 4–10 mm long, acute, rarely truncate in lower leaves; rhizomatous shoots absent, new shoots obscure, stoloniferous, extravaginal, with green cataphylls; spikelet proximal lemmas glabrous or sparingly pubescent on the keel, and sometimes marginal veins; all lemmas glabrous between the keel and marginal veins; spikelets 2–3-flowered; sheaths nearly smooth to densely scabrous; leaf blades mostly flat, flaccid; all florets of spikelets hermaphroditic | P. trivialis |
All of the indigenous species covered (including the new ones) are accommodated in Poa subg. Poa supersect. Homalopoa sect. Homalopoa Dumort. s.l., except P. calycina and P. swallenii, which currently reside in P. subg. Poa supersect. Homalopoa sect. Dissanthelium (Trin.) Refulio, and P. hitchcockiana and P. sanchez-vegae, which reside in Poa subgen. Poa supersect. Homalopoa sect. Dioicopoa subsect. Aphanelytrum. The introduced species are referred to P. subg. Ochlopoa (Asch. & Graebn.) Hyl. sect. Micrantherae Stapf (P. annua and P. infirma); P. subg. Stenopoa (Dumort.) Soreng & L.J. Gillespie sect. Pandemos Asch. & Graebn. (P. trivialis); P. subg. Poa supersect. Poa sect. Poa (P. pratensis); P. subg. Stenopoa sect. Tichopoa Asch. & Graebn. (P. compressa).
Poa aequatoriensis Hack. Ref:
Poa annua L. Syn: Ochlopoa annua (L.) H. Scholz. Ref:
Poa auriculata Soreng & P.M. Peterson Ref & Ill:
Poa ayacuchensis Tovar Ref & Ill:
Poa calycina (J. Presl) Kunth Syn: Brizopyrum calycinum J. Presl; Deschampsia mathewsii Ball; Dissanthelium calycinum (J. Presl) Hitchc.; Dissanthelium laxifolium Swallen & Tovar; Dissanthelium mathewsii (Ball) R.C. Foster & L.B. Sm.; Dissanthelium sclerochloides Steud. ex E. Fourn.; Dissanthelium semitectum Swallen & Tovar; Dissanthelium supinum Trin.. Ref:
Poa candamoana Pilg. (Nom. Cons. Prop. In prep.) Syn: Poa adusta J. Presl, lectotype here designated Haenke s.n. (lectotype:
There has long been uncertainty regarding the identity of Poa adusta (
The origin of the P. adusta specimens has been uncertain as they might not have been collected from Peru, even though J.
Although the set of Haenke’s collections that made their way to Prague were purchased by the Czech National Museum, a substantial part of it ended up in the Prague University herbarium (now the herbarium of Charles University in Prague,
Poa compressa L. Ref:
Poa fibrifera Pilg. Syn: Poa carazensis Pilg.; Poa ferreyrae Tovar; Poa geniculata Tovar; Poa tovarii Soreng. Ref:
Poa gilgiana Pilg. Syn: Melica expansa Steud. ex Lechl.. Ref:
Poa glaberrima Tovar Ref:
Poa grisebachii R.E. Fr. Syn: Poa superata Hack. Ref:
The plants resemble P. fibrifera, and are sometimes fibrous at their bases, but can usually be distinguished by the distinctly pubescent lemmas. The leaf blades are usually somewhat thin, flat, lax, and scabrous, 1.5–3.5 mm wide, tapering to a very slender apex. Certain specimens were found from AYACUCHO: Lucanas, e.g. P.M. Peterson 16317 (
Poa hitchcockiana Soreng & P.M. Peterson Syn: Brachyelytrum procumbens Hack.; Aphanelytrum decumbens Hack. ex Sodiro. Ref & Ill:
Poa horridula Pilg. Syn: Melica expansa Steud ex Lechl.; Poa dumetorum Hack.; Poa piifontii J. Fernandez Casas, J. Molero & A. Susanna; Poa pufontii Fern. Casas, Molero & Susanna; Poa unduavensis Hack.. Ref:
Poa huancavelicae Tovar Syn: Poa paramoensis Lægaard. Ref:
Poa infirma Kunth Syn: Catabrosa thomsonii Hook. f.; Colpodium thomsonii (Hook. f.) Hack.; Eragrostis infirma (Kunth) Steud.; Megastachya infirma (Kunth) Roem. & Schult.; Ochlopoa infirma (Kunth) H. Scholz; Poa annua subsp. exilis (Tomm. ex Freyn) Asch. & Graebn.; Poa exilis (Tomm. ex Freyn) Murb.; Poa remotiflora (Hack.) Murb.. Ref:
Poa kurtzii R.E. Fr. Syn: Poa altoperuana R. Lara & Fern. Casas; Poa asperiflora Hack.; Poa munozensis Hack.; Poa pflanzii Pilg. Ref:
Poa cf. leioclada Hack. Ref:
Poa oscariana Negritto & Antón Ref & Ill:
Poa pauciflora Roem. & Schult. Syn: Poa depauperata Kunth; Poa pardoana Pilg. Ref:
Poa pearsonii Reeder Ref:
Poa pratensis L. Ref:
Poa ramifera Soreng & P.M. Peterson Ref. & Ill:
Poa sanchez-vegae Soreng & P.M. Peterson Syn: Aphanelytrum peruvianum Sánchez Vega, P.M. Peterson, Soreng & Lægaard. Ref & Ill:
Poa scabrivaginata Tovar Ref:
Poa swallenii Refulio Syn: Dissanthelium expansum Swallen & Tovar. Ref:
Poa trivialis L. subsp. trivialis Ref:
Poa trollii (Pilg.) Refulio Syn: Dissanthelium trollii Pilg. Ref:
PERU. Región JUNÍN. Prov. Junín: Distr. Carhuamayo, orillas de la laguna de Capillacocha, {est. vicinity: S10.86443°, W75.99256°} entre Carhuamayo y Paucartambo, Puna grassland, 4200–4300 m, 8 Jan 1949, R. Ferreyra 5200 p.p. a (holotype:
Plants gynomonoeious. Perennials; Rhizomatous, with well developed, slender, lateral tending, rhizomes, small tufted. Tillers extravaginal. Culms c. 5 cm tall, erect, unbranched, isolated or two together; Culm nodes terete, smooth, included in the sheaths; Culm internodes less than 1 cm long (peduncle c. 3 cm), terete, smooth. Leaves equally basal and cauline; Sheaths slightly laterally compressed, keeled, smooth, glabrous; Butt sheaths papery or slightly fibrous in age; Uppermost culm sheath c. 18 mm long, margins fused c. 40% their length, distal sheaths longer than their blades; Collars and throats smooth, glabrous; Ligules 1–1.5 mm long, sometimes with a central dent to 2 mm long, indistinctly decurrent, abaxially moderately densely scabrous, apices obtuse, margin irregular sometimes with a tooth, of sterile shoots similar to those of the culm; Cauline blades to 2 cm long, mostly folded or infrequently flat, with strongly inrolled margins, abaxially, marginally, and adaxially smooth, glabrous, tips distinctly prow shaped; Blades graduated up the culm, the sub-terminal one the longest; Sterile shoot blades to 4.5 cm long. Panicles 2–2.5 cm long, open, exerted, c. 1 cm wide, with 13–15 spikelets, proximal internode c. 6 mm long, weakly scabrous angled; Rachis with 1 branch per node; Primary branches spreading to reflexed, the upper ones ascending, distinctly angled, closely scabrous along the angles; Lateral pedicels less than 0.5 mm long, scabrous angled; Longest branches c. 7 mm, with 4–5 spikelets clustered in the distal half. Spikelets 3.5–4 mm long, c. 1.5 × longer than wide, broadly ovate, laterally compressed, not bulbiferous, anthocyanic and bronzy; Florets (2–)3, the proximal 1 (or 2 if 3 total) perfect, the distal 1 pistillate; Rachilla internodes 0.4–0.8 mm long, terete, distal internodes terete, smooth, glabrous, mostly hidden; Glumes more or less equal, both broadly lanceolate, or the first lanceolate, sub-lustrous in the scareous-hyaline margins, distinctly keeled, keels smooth or distally smooth or sparsely scaberulous, apices acute and pointed to obtuse and blunt and denticulate; Lower glumes 2.5–3 mm long, 1–3-veined; Upper glumes 3–3.2 mm long, subequal in width to the lower, 2–3-veined; Calluses glabrous; Lemmas (the lowest) 2.9–3.5, 5-veined, broadly lanceolate to ovate, green proximally, anthocyanic distally with a wide bronzy band apically, strongly laterally compressed, distinctly keeled, thin, keel smooth or obscurely scaberulous distally, smooth or mostly smooth elsewhere, glabrous, intermediate veins distinct, not extending into the scarious apical margin, edges smooth, apices scarious-hyaline bronzy for the distal c. 1 mm, edges smooth or slightly erose to denticulate, obtuse, blunt or slightly pointed; Paleas to 1 mm shorter than the lemma, glabrous, keels smooth or distally sparsely scaberulous. Flowers chasmogamous; Lodicules not observed; Anthers c. 2 mm long (vestigial in pistillate flowers). Caryopses unknown. 2n = unknown.
Known only from a single locality in Junín.
Puna grassland, 4200–4300 m, in wet margins/shore of lakes, in moss.
The species is named in recognition of the eminent Peruvian botanist, Ramón Alejandro Ferreyra (1910–2005) who collected the type and paratype.
Data insufficient.
PERU. Región JUNÍN. Prov. Junín: Distr. Carhuamayo, Capillacocha cerca a Carhuamayo, Puna grassland, 4200–4300 m, 8 Jan 1949, R. Ferreyra 5211 (
This new species appears like a small form of P. glaberrima, but differs by being extensively rhizomatous and reaching only 5 cm tall, versus densely tufted and 12–45 cm tall for P. glaberrima. The
Poa ramoniana. A Habit B Ligular zone C Terminal segment of inflorescence branch with four spikelet cluster D Spikelet E Lower glume ventral view F Proximal floret (perfect) G Upper glume dorsal view H Palea with immature pistil (pistillate floret), dorsal view I Palea with pistil (pistillate floret), staminodes, and lodicules, lateral view. Drawn from type material (R. Ferreyra 5200 p.p. a,
PERU: Región HUANCAVELICA. Prov. Tayacaja: Distr. Colcabamba, Chuspi-Hda., Tocas, entre Colcabamba y Paucarbamba, monte bajo, 2900 m, [vic. S12.5°, W74.6°], 22 Apr 1954, Ó. Tovar. S. 2038 (holotype:
Plants gynomonoecious. Perennials; tufted, without lateral or downward tending shoots. Tillers intravaginal. Culms 55–65 cm tall, erect or decumbent (when decumbent sometimes extravaginally branching at the lower culm nodes, i.e. Peterson et al. 20369); Culm nodes 3–4, terete, smooth, 2–3 nodes exposed at flowering; Culm internodes terete, smooth. Leaves; Sheaths slightly laterally compressed, keeled, lower culm and lateral ones densely scaberulous distally; Butt sheaths thin papery, somewhat loosely investing the shoots; Uppermost culm sheaths 10–13 cm long, margins fused 60–75 % their length, slightly shorter than their blades; Collars and throats smooth, glabrous; Ligules 2.0–3.5 mm long, not decurrent, abaxially sparsely to moderately densely scabrous, apices obtuse to subacute, margins densely scabrous, ligules of sterile shoots and lower culm leaves 0.5–1 mm long; Cauline blades 6–15 cm long, 3–5 mm wide, well developed, longer than their sheaths, generally flat, keeled, thin, lax, abaxially, marginally, and adaxially scabrous mainly along the veins, folded near the apex, apex gradually tapered to a slender point; Blades gradually increasing in length up the culm, flag leaf blade 10–15 cm long; Sterile shoot blades like those of the culm, but somewhat shorter and smoother. Panicles 18–20 cm long, loose, open, exerted, slightly lax, to 5 cm wide, with more than 100 spikelets, proximal internodes 3.5–4 cm long, smooth; Rachis with (3) 5–6 branches at lower nodes; Primary branches slender, mostly laxly ascending, sometimes spreading, one sometimes reflexed, angled, proximally smooth to moderately scabrous mainly on the angles; Lateral pedicels mostly < 1 mm long, scabrous; Longest branches 6–8 cm long, with 14–22 spikelets in the distal half, slightly overlapping. Spikelets 4.5–6 mm long, c. 2 × longer than wide, lanceolate, laterally compressed, not bulbiferous, greyish-green to somewhat anthocyanic at maturity; Florets (3–)4(–5), proximal florets hermaphroditic and distal one pistillate; Rachilla internodes terete, distal internodes 0.7–1 mm long, terete, smooth, glabrous; Glumes unequal, narrow lanceolate to lanceolate, herbaceous and pale green below, sometimes anthocyanic in margins and apex, veins distinct, distinctly keeled, keels sparsely short scabrous distally, surfaces smooth, margins scarious-hyaline, edges entire smooth, apices sharply acute, entire; Lower glumes 1.7–2.5 mm, 2/3–4/5 as long as adjacent lemmas, 1-veined, very narrow, slightly sickle shaped; Upper glume 2.4–3 mm, c. 2 × wider than the lower, 3-veined; Calluses webbed, with a dense, long dorsal tuft of wooly hairs; Lemmas (the lowest) 2.8–3.7 mm long, 5-veined, lanceolate in side view, the proximal one c. 5 × longer than wide at maturity, greyish-green, to strongly anthocyanic at maturity, strongly laterally compressed, distinctly keeled, thin, keel to 3/4 the length and marginal veins and sometimes the intermediate veins to 1/2 the length, loosely sericious to villous, between veins sparsely to moderately densely appressed pubescent or occasionally glabrous on the proximal lemma, keel distally weekly scabrous, intermediate veins distinct, not extending to near the margin, margins inrolling below at maturity, very narrowly hyaline above, edges smooth or with a few hooks, apices acute, briefly hyaline; Paleas shorter than the lemmas by c. 0.5 mm, keels scabrous distally, sometimes weakly so, sparsely puberulent medially or nearly so, glabrous. Flowers chasmogamous; Lodicules c. 0.25 mm long, obscurely lobed; Anthers 1.2–1.4 mm long, vestigial in the upper floret. Caryopsis 1.8–2 mm long, strongly laterally compressed, sulcate, honey brown, firm, adherent to the lemma and palea, hilum 0.2 mm long, elliptical. 2n = unknown.
Endemic to the central Andes of Peru. Known from Huancavelica and Huánuco, although the Huánuco specimen is only tentatively placed.
Shrublands on Andean slopes at mid elevations.
Data insufficient.
One other specimen appears to represent this species but is too immature to be certain. The specimen in question has extravaginal shoots branching from lower culm nodes; PERU: Región HUÁNUCO. Prov. Pachitea: Distr. Chaggla, canyon of the Rio Grande, c. 20 km above confluence with Rio Huallaga, E of Huánuco c. 44 air km, 1.7 air km SSW of Estación Huacachay (Huacachi), 2650 m, S9.86836 W75.83306, 8 Mar 2007, Peterson, Soreng & Romaschenko 20369 (
These plants bear similarities to Poa aequatoriensis but differ by having lemmas which are generally shorter (2.8–3.7 mm long), pubescent between the veins, and by more densely scabrous sheaths, with more-or-less smooth glabrous throats, ligules generally shorter.
PERU. Región CUSCO. Prov. Calca: Distr. Calca, top of the prominent tower known by locals as “Kontorqayku”, 5 km NE of Huarán, 4401 m, S13°16'05.9", W72°01'17.2", 27 May 2011, S.P. Sylvester 1317 (holotype:
Plants gynomonoecious. Perennials or (rarely) annuals; Rhizomatous with well developed, slender, lateral tending, rhizomes, solitary and erect, or rarely tufted, often rooting from nodes. Tillers extravaginal. Culms (3–)15–30(–42) cm tall, decumbent to ascending, sometimes erect, fairly slender, not branching above the base, leafy; Culm nodes 1–2(–3), terete or slightly compressed, smooth, usually 1 node exposed at flowering; Culm internodes 3–15(–20) cm long, terete, smooth. Leaves mostly basal; Sheaths slightly compressed to keeled, smooth or scabrous along the veins; Butt sheaths papery, smooth, glabrous; Uppermost culm sheaths (3.5–)8–16 cm long, margins fused 25–60% the length, 1.8–2.7 × longer than their blades; Collars and throats smooth or scabrous, glabrous, collar margins of sterile shoot leaves sometimes flared; Ligules 1–4 mm long, not decurrent, scarious to hyaline, adaxially glabrous to scabrous, upper margins entire or irregularly dentate, apices acute and entire to irregularly dentate above, sterile shoot ligules generally shorter and more scabrous than those of the culm leaves; Cauline blades 2–15(–22) cm long, (1.5–)2–3 mm wide, flat or folded, margins often becoming involute, thin to moderately thin, soft or (rarely) curved, surfaces abaxially and adaxially lightly to moderately scabrous or rarely smooth, margins scabrous, narrowly to abruptly prow-tipped; Mid-cauline blades the longest, 10–22 cm long, shorter upward, flag leaf blade 3.5–7.7 cm long; Sterile shoot blades similar to cauline blades, sometimes more involute. Panicles (4–)8–13 cm long, erect, loosely contracted to open, ovoid to narrowly pyramidal, sparsely to moderately congested, with 13–40(–80) spikelets, proximal internode 1.4–3 cm long, smooth or scaberulous, usually scabrous towards its apex; Rachis with (1–)2–3(–5) branches per node; Primary branches ascending, fairly flexuous, weakly angled, moderately scabrous; Lateral pedicels mostly 3/4 to equaling the spikelets, moderately to densely scabrous, prickles moderately coarse; Longest branches 3–5 cm long, with 5–15 spikelets in distal 1/2, loosely arranged. Spikelets 3.7–6.5 mm long, to 3.7 × long as wide, lanceolate, laterally compressed, not bulbiferous, two toned; Florets 2–3(–4), proximal 1 or 2 florets hermaphroditic and distal 1 or 2 pistillate or sterile; Rachilla internodes terete, distal internodes 0.6–1 mm long, terete, smooth, glabrous; Glumes equal to subequal, narrow lanceolate, herbaceous and pale green below, scarious bronzy and sometimes anthocyanic in margins and apex, veins distinct, distinctly keeled, usually scabrous purely on the veins and sometimes between veins, margins scarious-hyaline, edges entire or dentate, smooth, apices acute, entire; Lower glumes 3.1–3.5 mm long, 2/3–4/5 as long as adjacent lemmas, 1-veined, narrow; Upper glumes 3.4–3.9 mm long, c. 2 × wider than the lower, 3-veined; Calluses glabrous; Lemmas (the lowest) 3.2–3.9 mm long, 5-veined, lanceolate in side-view, the proximal one c. 4–8 × longer than wide at maturity, proximally light green and distally bronzy-anthocyanic at maturity, moderately laterally compressed, thin, keeled, keels to 1/3–5/6 and marginal veins to 3/5–4/5, proximally smooth, keel and sides distally sparsely to moderately scaberulous, intermediate veins obscure to moderately prominent, not extending to near the margin, margins broadly scarious-hyaline, edges scabrous, apices acute; Paleas to 1.6 mm shorter than the lemma, glabrous, keels distally sparsely to moderately scabrous, between keels narrow (0.3–0.4 mm). Flowers chasmogamous; Lodicules c. 0.25 mm long, obscurely to shallowly lobed; Anthers 0.7–1.1(–1.3) mm long, infrequently vestigial in upper florets of spikelets. Caryopses c. 1.9 mm long, elliptical in side-view, sulcus broad and shallow, brown, hilum 0.2 mm long, oval, grain free from the palea. 2n = unknown.
Restricted to undisturbed areas of Polylepis woodland in hard to access areas throughout the Cordillera Urubamba, Cusco, Peru, at 4390–4802 m. Known from three localities; 1) Cliff ledges of the prominent SW facing cliff face 1.5 km S (170°) of Cancha Cancha village, Huarán. 2) Ledges of the prominent tower known by locals as “Kontorqayku”, 5 km NE of Huarán. 3) Ridgeline to the W of Laguna Manalloqsa, Área de Conservación Privada (ACP) Mantanay, 10 km up the valley from Yanahuara in the small valley 3 km E of Laguna Ipsaycocha.
Relatively dry and exposed sites in montane Polylepis forest and forest edges.
The name ‘urubambensis’ refers to the Cordillera Urubamba.
This narrow endemic is locally common.
PERU. Región CUSCO. Prov. Calca: Distr. Calca, large ledge situated on the prominent SW facing cliff face 1.5 km S (170°) of Cancha Cancha village, Huarán, 4524 m, S13°14'35.1", W72°01'14.1", 21 March 2011, S.P. Sylvester 812 (
This new species is similar to other members of Poa sect. Homalopoa s.l. from Peru, Bolivia and Argentina, all of which have open panicles and spikelets with 2–5(–8) florets, the lowermost florets hermaphroditic while the upper florets are pistillate. Poa urubambensis is easily recognised in the field by the combination of an open-panicled inflorescence, glabrous lemmas and calluses, and exceptionally small anthers for members of Poa supersect. Homalopoa. Poa urubambensis also bears resemblance to Poa oscariana, but is distinguished by a less robust habit, the leaf blades being mainly basal and the anthers being smaller.
This species was found during a large scale ecological study attempting to reconstruct the potential natural vegetation (PNV) and soils of the high-elevation Puna grasslands (see
Poa urubambensis. A Habit B Basal portion of plant showing extravaginal shoots C Inflorescence D Ligular zone E Segment of inflorescence F Spikelet G Lower glume dorsal view H Upper glume dorsal view I Proximal floret J Lemma, lateral view K Palea, ventral view L Pistil, stamens and lodicules from perfect floret. Drawn from type material (S.P. Sylvester 1317,
Poa androgyna Pilg. Ref:
Poa bromoides Vahl = Eragrostis bromoides (Vahl) Steud. Ref:
Poa lilloi Hack. Ref:
Poa supina Schrader Ref:
This research was funded by a studentship grant from The Leverhulme Trust and an SNSF Early Postdoc Mobility Grant (Grant No. P2ZHP3_161988) to SPS and expedition grants to PMP from the Smithsonian Institution’s Restricted Endowment Fund, the Scholarly Studies Program, Research Opportunities, Atherton Seidell Foundation, Biodiversity Surveys and Inventories Program, Small Grants, and the National Geographic Society for Research and Exploration (Grant Nos. 8848-10, 8087-06). Thanks go to Uwe Braun (
Supplementary key to the open-panicled species of Poa in Peru
Data type: Adobe PDF file
Explanation note: This morphological key emphasizes lemma indumentum.