Plants perennial; densely or rarely moderately densely tufted, usually neither stoloniferous nor rhizomatous, rarely shortly rhizomatous. Basal branching intra- or extravaginal, or both. Culms 5-60(70) cm. Sheaths closed for 1/7 – 4/5 their length, terete, distal sheaths longer than their blades; innovation blades sometimes involute and firmer than the cauline blades, adaxial surfaces smooth or moderately to densely scabrous, glabrous or hispidulous on and between the veins; cauline blades 0.5-3 mm wide, flat, folded, or involute, thin to thick, soft to firm, apices usually narrowly prow-shaped, cauline blades sometimes broadly prow-shaped. Panicles 1-12 cm, erect or slightly nodding, contracted or open, usually narrowly lanceolate to ovate, sometimes pyramidal; nodes with 1-3(5) branches; branches 0.5-4(5) cm, terete to angled, smooth or sparsely to densely scabrous. Spikelets (3)4-10(12) mm, lengths to 3.5 times widths, lanceolate to broadly ovate, not bulbiferous; florets 2-8. Glumes lanceolate to broadly lanceolate; lower glumes 3-veined; calluses usually glabrous, sometimes shortly and sparsely webbed; lemmas (3)3.5-8 mm, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, usually glabrous, sometimes sub-puberulent, or short-villous in hybrids; palea keels scabrous, glabrous or ciliate; anthers 3, vestigial (0.1-0.2 mm), aborted late in development, or 1.3-4.5 mm.

Discussion

The five species of Poa subsect. Epiles are cespitose, gynodioecious or dioecious, and have involute or folded leaf blades.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Poa cusickii, Poa leibergii, Poa porsildii, Poa pringlei, Poa stebbinsii, Poa ×nematophylla