Plants perennial; densely to loosely tufted, short- to long-rhizomatous and/or stoloniferous. Basal branching intra- and extravaginal. Culms (5)7-70 cm. Sheaths closed for 1/3 - 7/10 their length, terete or weakly keeled, distal sheaths usually longer than their blades; ligules 0.2-18 mm, usually scabrous, sometimes ciliolate; innovation blades adaxially smooth or scabrous, glabrous or hispidulous; cauline blades 0.5-4 mm wide, usually involute, sometimes flat or folded, thin to thick, soft to firm, apices narrowly prow-shaped. Panicles 1-15(30) cm, erect, usually contracted to loosely contracted and lanceolate to ovoid, infrequently open and broadly pyramidal, congested to sparse, nodes with 1-2 branches; branches 0.5-8 cm, terete or angled, smooth or scabrous, glabrous or densely hispidulous, with 1-17(25) spikelets. Spikelets 3-17 mm, lengths to 3 times widths, not bulbiferous; florets 2-7(13). Glumes lanceolate to broadly lanceolate; calluses glabrous, webbed, or with a crown of hairs; lemmas 2.5-11 mm, lanceolate, sometimes narrowly lanceolate, glabrous or hairy, 5-7(11)-veined, lateral veins moderately prominent to prominent; anthers 3, vestigial (0.1-0.2 mm) or 1.5-4(5) mm.

Discussion

The seven species of Poa subsect. Madropoa are strongly dioecious, usually rhizomatous, and usually have involute blades.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Poa atropurpurea, Poa confinis, Poa diaboli, Poa douglasii, Poa fendleriana, Poa macrantha, Poa piperi