Poa bashkirica Olonova, 2025

Poa bashkirica Olonova , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 ).

Diagnosis: Poa bashkirica is morphologically similar to P. transbaicalica , P. korshinskyi and P. argunensis and differs from the first two species with lemmas, pubescent between veins and purple-tinged stems at the base, and from P. argunensis with distribution ( TABLE 1).

Holotype: — RUSSIA, Сhelyabinsk Oblast : Verkhneuralsk District, 2.5 km SW from Moskovo village, [ 53.954 o N, 59.109° E], shady cliffs, 11 June 2007, N. V. Zolotareva s.n. (TK 006244!). GoogleMaps

Plant perennial. Culm tufted, 25–35 (45) cm tall, erect, purple at the base, sparsely scabrid below the panicle and nodes because of short artrose prickles, or almost smooth; uppermost node about 1/3 of culm. Lateral shoots all extravaginal with cataphylls at base, all shoots flowering in a season. Nodes exposed in mature plants. Leaf sheaths 2 and more times longer than blades, uppermost closed for 1/6 of length and less; blade narrow linear, flat or folded, firm in edge, 1–2 mm wide, (2.5) 3.5–4.5 mm long, scabrid; ligule (1–)1.3–2 (3) mm long. Panicle contracted, narrow, 4–7cm long, 1–2 cm wide; branches 1–2(–3) per node, angled, with dense short prickles on angles, ascending. The longest one (1.5)2–3(4) mm long, with (2)3–4(5) spikelets at the distal end. Spikelets lanceolate, (3)3.5–4.5 (5) mm long, green, 2–3 florets; lowermost rachilla internode 0.5 (–0.7) mm long, minutely bumpy, glabrous; both glumes 3- veined, with short rare prickles at the upper part of the keels, apex acuminate, lower glume (2.7–) 3–3.3 mm long, 0.4– 0.6 mm wide, upper glume (3) 3.2–3.8 mm long, 0.4–0.7 mm wide, lemma oblong-lanceolate, (2.8–)3–3.5(–3.8) mm long 0.5–0.75 mm wide, keel slightly arched, shortly villous for half, marginal veins for 1/3 the length, intercostal area puberulent to short-villous in the lower part; callus webbed to almost glabrous; palea minutely pilulose between keels, keels with short prickles, outer margins smooth. Anthers (1.3) 1.5–1.8 mm long. Caryopsis 1.5 mm long, elliptical on side view, subtrigonous in the cross section, light-brown. Sulcus broad and shallow to indistinct, hilum elliptical, ca 0.1 mm long.

Phenology: —Flowering from June to July (August).

Geographical distribution:— Poa bashkirica was found in the southern Ural Mountains in western Russia ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ).

Habitat and associated species:— The new species grows in the plain steppes and on the steppe mountain slopes in association with Stipa spp. , Festuca pseudovina Hack. ex Wiesb. (1880: 126) , Helictotrichon desertorum (Less.) Pilg. (1938: 7) .

Etymology: —The new species was named Poa bashkirica in reference to the Republic of Bashkortostan (Bashkiria, Bashkortostan) where it was discovered.

Paratypes: — RUSSIA. Orenburg Oblast: Orsk district, feather grass-steppe ( St. pennata ), S slope (20 o) near settlement Novo-Orskiy, along the road to settlement Novo-Sevastopolskiy , [51.73 oN, 58.59 oE], 06.06.1917, M.M. Ilyin s.n. (LE!) ; Orsk district, Irendyk ridge, [52.82 oN, 58.60 oE] cliffs at the top, upper reach of the Sibay river , 26.06.1917, M.M. Ilyin s.n. (LE!) ; Republic of Bashkortostan: [Baymaksky Distr.], Irendyk ridge, 6 km to NW from Stariy Sibay [52.76 oN, 58.54 oE], rocky steppe, 9.06.1961, N.P. Romakhina s.n. (LE!) ; Southern Ural, Bashkiria, [Beloretsky Distr.], E slope of Ural-tau , upper reaches of the Kazmash river , tributary of the Kyzyl river , [53.96 oN, 58.58 oE], SE slope of steppe hill, 26.06.1955, K.N. Igoshina s.n. (LE!) .