Poa jubata . is an ephemeral, southeastern European species of which little is known. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of Poa L., including all previously identified major lineages, shows this species to be isolated, with a genotype here designated as J (plastid) j (nrDNA). | Turkish Journal of Botany Turk J Bot (2017) 41: 404-415 © TÜBİTAK doi: Research Article Taxonomy of Poa jubata and a new section of the genus (Poaceae) 1, 2 3,4 Evren CABİ *, Robert John SORENG , Lynn Judith GILLESPIE Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Namık Kemal University, Tekirdağ, Turkey 2 Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA 3 Research Division, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, ON, Canada 4 Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada 1 Received: Accepted/Published Online: Final Version: Abstract: Poa jubata . is an ephemeral, southeastern European species of which little is known. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of Poa L., including all previously identified major lineages, shows this species to be isolated, with a genotype here designated as J (plastid) j (nrDNA). It is assigned to the monotypic P. sect. Jubatae sect. nov. The section is differentiated from other Poa sections in having 5-nerved upper glumes, very narrow palea flanges, an annual habit, and erect solitary culms. Poa jubata occurs along coastal regions of the Balkans and is rather rare. Two new collections were made in 2015 in Thrace, Turkey, in vernal pool habitats with clay soils, thus expanding its known habitat. The species is described in detail and illustrated, and its relationships are discussed. Key words: Morphology, taxonomy, DNA, Europe, Balkans region, phylogeny, genotype, annual habit 1. Introduction Poa L., with about 550 species, is a large genus of grasses. Edmondson (1985) recognized 24 species of Poa in Turkey. He noted one imperfectly known species as P. hackelii Post, and two doubtful species as P. iberica Fisch & and P. palustris L. He also placed P. eigii Feinbrun under P. bulbosa L. . In subsequent years, three more Poa species (P. akmanii Soreng,
