Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Poa L.

Poa arctica R.Br.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Subarctic to Subalpine America.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths herbaceous. Culms decumbent; 20-60 cm long; wiry. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Leaf-sheaths with 0.5-0.75 of their length closed; without keel. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3-7 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface; acute, or acuminate. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 1-2.5 mm wide; mid-green, or glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 4-15 cm long; bearing few spikelets; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches ascending; 2 -nate. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous, or woolly.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous, or woolly.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled. Lower glume primary vein smooth. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5-6 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; oblong in profile; 3.5-6 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface villous. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels smooth, or scaberulous; eciliate, or ciliolate. Palea surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.4-2.5 mm long; pallid, or purple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Europe: northern and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, China, and eastern Asia. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, southwest USA, and south-central USA. South America: southern South America.
Reference
Poeae. Soreng 1992.

Doubtfully present in:

Iceland

Native to:

Alaska, Alberta, Aleutian Is., Altay, British Columbia, Buryatiya, Chita, Colorado, East European Russia, Finland, Greenland, Idaho, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril Is., Labrador, Magadan, Manitoba, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Newfoundland, North European Russi, Northwest Territorie, Norway, Nunavut, Ontario, Québec, Saskatchewan, Svalbard, Sweden, Tuva, Utah, Washington, West Siberia, Wyoming, Yakutskiya, Yukon

Introduced into:

Argentina South

Poa arctica R.Br. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Jan 30, 1936 Nyman [s.n.], Norway K000641195 Yes
Jan 30, 1936 Laestadius, C.P. [s.n.], Sweden K000641196 Yes
Jan 30, 1936 Wahlenberg [s.n.], Norway K000641194 Yes
Jan 30, 1936 Zetterstedt, J.E. [s.n.], Sweden K000641197 Yes
Jan 30, 1936 [Parry] [s.n.], Norway K000641198 Yes
Mar 13, 1935 Parry, Capt. [s.n.], Canada K000633962 Yes
Mar 13, 1935 Parry [s.n.], Canada K000633965 Yes
Mar 13, 1935 Morrison [s.n.], Labrador K000633963 Yes
Mar 13, 1935 Simmons, H.G. [4000], Canada K000633961 Yes
Mar 13, 1935 Canada K000633964 Yes
Patterson, H.N. [13], Colorado K000633959 Yes
Rydberg, P.A., Bessey, E.A. [3614], Montana K000633960 Yes

First published in Chlor. Melvill.: 30 (1823)

Accepted by

  • Chang, C.S., Kim, H. & Chang, K.S. (2014). Provisional checklist of vascular plants for the Korea peninsula flora (KPF): 1-660. DESIGNPOST.
  • Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Fedorov, A.A. (ed.) (1999). Flora of Russia. The European part and bordering regions 1: 1-546. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Broekfield.
  • Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2007). Flora of North America North of Mexico 24: 1-908. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
  • Kharkevich, S.S., Probatova, N.S. & Novikov, V.S. (1985). Sosudistye rasteniia sovetskogo Dal’nego Vostoka 1: 1-383. Izd-vo "Nauka," Leningradskoe otd-nie, Leningrad.
  • Krasnoborov, I.M. & Armemov, I.A. (2012). Opredelitel' Rasteni? Respublika Alta?: 1-640. Novosibirsk: Izd-vo SO RAN.
  • Malyschev, L.I. & Peschkova, G.A. (eds.) (2001). Flora of Siberia 2: 1-362. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Enfield, Plymouth.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press.
  • Zuloaga, F.O., Morrone, O. , Belgrano, M.J., Marticorena, C. & Marchesi, E. (eds.) (2008). Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 107: 1-3348. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Fedorov, A.A. (ed.) (1999). Flora of Russia. The European part and bordering regions 1: 1-546. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Broekfield.
  • Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2007). Flora of North America North of Mexico 24: 1-908. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
  • Hultén, E.O.G. (1960). Flora of the Aleutian Islands and westernmost Alaska Peninsula: with notes on the flora of Commander Islands, ed. 2: 1-376. Weinheim : J. Cramer ; New York : Hafner Pub. Co.
  • Kharkevich, S.S., Probatova, N.S. & Novikov, V.S. (1985). Sosudistye rasteniia sovetskogo Dal’nego Vostoka 1: 1-383. Izd-vo "Nauka," Leningradskoe otd-nie, Leningrad.
  • Krasnoborov, I.M. & Armemov, I.A. (2012). Opredelitel' Rasteni? Respublika Alta?: 1-640. Novosibirsk: Izd-vo SO RAN.
  • Malyschev, L.I. & Peschkova, G.A. (eds.) (2001). Flora of Siberia 2: 1-362. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Enfield, Plymouth.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press.
  • Zuloaga, F.O., Morrone, O. , Belgrano, M.J., Marticorena, C. & Marchesi, E. (eds.) (2008). Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 107: 1-3348. Missouri Botanical Garden.

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0