2n = 28

Loose, green to purple-green perennial tufts to 60 cm tall, culms usually only slightly overtopping leaves at flowering, later elongating; new shoots extravaginal; laminae persistent. Sheaths light green, often slightly purplish, later greyish, shining, submembranous, smooth, distinctly veined, keeled, occasionally scabrous just below ligule on keel, and sometimes on surface; ligule 0.5—1.5—(2.5) mm long, evenly narrowed to a short point, strongly finely ciliate across top and abaxially; lamina 7-15.5 cm × 2-3.5 mm, flat or folded, subcoriaceous, abaxially smooth except near curved, shortly apiculate scabrous tip, adaxially minutely scabrous, margins finely scabrous, with a few slightly longer ci-lia just above ligule. Culms 15-45 cm tall, erect, smooth below panicle. Panicle 6.5-18 cm long, branches slender, spreading, minutely scabrous, tipped by 2- 4 large spikelets. Spikelets 6.5-9.5 mm long, 3-5- flowered, usually purplish. Glumes ± equal, c. 4- 5 mm long, 3-nerved, elliptic- to ovate-lanceolate, subobtuse, midrib scabrous, tip minutely ciliate. Lemma 4.5-5 mm long, 5-nerved, ± oblong, obtuse, minutely scabrous along and between nerves especially in lower half, rarely with a few sparse short hairs near base of keel, minutely scabrous at tip. Palea 4.5-5 mm long, scabrous-ciliate between keels and on margins, longer ciliate-dentate on keels. Lodicules 0.7-0.9 mm long. Callus glabrous, rarely with a few sparse hairs. Rachilla c. 1 mm long, sparsely, minutely scabrous, projection twice as long. Anthers 1.2-1.7-(2) mm long. Caryopsis c. 2 × 0.7 mm. Endemic

Gramen perenne, altum, culmis primo folia rigida vix superantibus, paniculae ramis gracilibus patentibusque. Poam kirkii aemulans differt tamen statura plerumque maiore, ligulis brevioribus apicem secus minutissime ciliatis, spiculis maioribus, antherisque longioribus.

Loose, green to purple-green perennial tufts, to 60 cm, culms usually only slightly overtopping leaves at flowering, later elongating; branching extravaginal; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath light green, often slightly purplish, later greyish, shining, submembranous, glabrous, keeled, distinctly ribbed, occasionally scabrid just below ligule especially on keel. Ligule 0.5-1.5-(2.5) mm, evenly narrowed to a short point, strongly finely ciliate, abaxially minutely hairy. Leaf-blade 7-15.5 cm × 2-3.5 mm, flat or folded, subcoriaceous, abaxially glabrous except near curved, shortly apiculate scabrid tip, adaxially minutely scabrid; margins finely scabrid, with a few hairs just above ligule. Culm 15-45 cm, erect, internodes glabrous below panicle. Panicle 6.5-18 cm; branches slender, spreading, minutely scabrid, tipped by 2-4 large spikelets. Spikelets 6.5-9.5 mm, 3-5-flowered, usually purplish. Glumes ± equal, c. 4-5 mm, 3-nerved, elliptic- to ovate-lanceolate, subobtuse, midrib scabrid, tip minutely ciliate. Lemma 4.5-5 mm, 5-nerved, ± oblong, obtuse, minutely scabrid on nerves and internerves especially in lower ½, rarely with a few sparse short hairs near base of keel, tip minutely scabrid. Palea 4.5-5 mm, keels ciliate-scabrid, interkeel and flanks with minute hairs and prickle-teeth. Callus glabrous, rarely with a few sparse hairs. Rachilla c. 1 mm, sparsely, minutely scabrid; prolongation twice as long. Lodicules 0.7-0.9 mm. Anthers 1.2-1.7-(2) mm. Caryopsis c. 2 × 0.7 mm.