Poa diaphora Trin., Mem . Acad. Imp. Sci. St.- Petersbourg , Ser . 6, Sci. Math., Seconde Pt. Sci. Nat. 4,2(1): 69-70. 1836.

Gillespie, Lynn J., Soreng, Robert John, Cabi, Evren & Amiri, Neda, 2018, Phylogeny and taxonomic synopsis of Poa subgenus Pseudopoa (including Eremopoa and Lindbergella) (Poaceae, Poeae, Poinae), PhytoKeys 111, pp. 69-102 : 81

Poa diaphora Trin., Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.- Petersbourg, Ser. 6, Sci. Math., Seconde Pt. Sci. Nat. 4,2(1): 69-70. 1836.

Aira altaica Trin., Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.- Pétersbourg Divers Savans 2: 526. 1835. Nephelochloa altaica (Trin.) Griseb., Fl. Ross. 4(13): 367. 1852. Poa diaphana Boiss., Fl. Orient. 5: 611. 1884, nom. inval. Eremopoa altaica (Trin.) Roshev., Fl. URSS 2: 431. 1934.

Type.

"Sterilissimus salsuginosis deserti editi Tschujae", [1800-3000 m], July 1832, A. Bunge (lectotype, designated by Tzvelev 1976, pg. 480, and marked in herbarium: LE! [Trinius herbarium microform image 424-A4! p.p. Bunge 1832]; isolectotypes: LE [3 specimens: TRIN-2620.01! with original description (Trinius herbarium microform 312-A1), Trinius herbarium microform images 424-A3!, 424-A5!], K [K000789849 image!; specimen labelled " Aira altaica Trin. Altai", "Acad. St. Petrop, mis. 8br 1835" is a good match for LE type material]). See Soreng et al. (1995) for explanation of Trinius herbarium citations.

Distribution.

Egypt (Sinai Peninsula) to China (Xinjiang, Xizang).

Notes.

Separating the four forms of Poa diaphora s.l. treated here is often difficult. Here we choose to recognise two subspecies as divided in the molecular plastid analysis. Subspecies diaphora and oxyglumis are most easily separated by the minute anthers (0.2-0.6 mm) combined with glabrous or nearly glabrous lemmas in the former and slightly longer anthers (0.6-1.1 mm) combined with hairy lemma keels and marginal veins in the latter. The other forms, diaphora s.s., songarica and alpina are essentially intergrading and are here treated as varieties in subsp. diaphora.

The specimen K000789848 (image!) ("Al. Bunge" ex hrbr. Alexandri Lehmann, Reliquiae botanicae, original det " Poa diaphora Tr.") might be original material of Aira altaica , but RJS doubts it as it is not a good match for LE types; it is a taller plant more like K00789847 (also Reliquiae Lehmannianae ), which is Bunge material collected 20 May 1842, in Karakum desert.