Poa bactriana subsp. zaprjagajevii Tzvelev, Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast.

2.5.Poa bactriana subsp. zaprjagajevii(Ovcz.) Tzvelev, Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 10: 96. 1973. ≡ Poa zaprjagajevii Ovcz., Izv. Tadzh. Bazy Akad. Nauk. SSSR 1 (1): 14–15. 1933. Type protologue. Tajikistan: Distr. Shurabad, in motibuts Terjai, in Imam-Ascary, in decliv. borealis, 3,000 m, 26 Jun 1932, No. 201, No. 202, 1932. VI 26, F. L. Zaprjagajev. Type specimen. F. L. Zaprjagajev 202 (l ectotype, here designated to supersede the prior lectotype proposed by Tzvelev: LE [rjs IMG _ 2013. jpg]). Diagnosis. This taxon differs from other P. bactriana taxa by the combination of culms (8 –) 14–30 cm tall; ligules to 3 mm long; blades 1–2.2 mm wide, flat; panicles very sparse; branches spreading “ almost horizontal ”, lightly scabrous, with few spikelets; spikelet lemmas 2–3 mm long, smooth, glabrous, usually strongly violaceous, obscurely veined. Flowers bisexual; anthers 1–1.5 mm long. Distribution and ecology. Afghanistan, Tajikistan. Alpine. Conservation status. None. Apparently rare. Comments. The lectotype designated by Tzvelev, 1976, p. 450, on F. L. Zaprjagajev 201, which Tzvelev indicated was most likely at TAD {but not seen by him}, was not found there in 2024 by Shoista Mubalieva (TAD, pers. comm.). The newly proposed lectotype, F. L. Zaprjagajev 202, is a tall slender plant, with loose, sparely flowered but not widely spreading branches, as illustrated in Roshevitz (1934, XXVIII fig. 7 a, b). Tzvelev (1976, p. 450, 1983 translation, p. 682) keyed the taxon as alpine and 8–30 cm tall [thus overlapping in height with P. scitula], [from “ Gissar-Daravaz, Alai, Pamir (western) ”, and Iran], vs. 14–30 cm tall according to Roshevitz (said to be endemic to the Pamir-Alai). This taxon seems transitional between narrow panicled subspecies glabriflora and drobovii and the open panicled P. scitula Bor. A specimen determined as this species by Bor from Iran, Archibald 2960 [E 0036800], appears to be closer to subsp. drobovii than to the Type of subsp. zaprjagajevii. Another collection, Akulshina 82, gathered in July 1959, from the S slope of the Darvaz range, Tajikistan, is a fair match to the lectotype but has more contracted panicles. This taxon is questionably distinct from subsp. glabriflora. Representative specimens. Afghanistan. (Neubauer 540 [US 04074154]). Tajikistan. (Akulshina 82 NY [NY 04293705, image!]).