Poa aucklandica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 2–40 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3–2 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate, or involute; 2–20 cm long; 0.5–1.5 mm wide; firm, or flaccid. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle open; 1.5–7.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches bearing 1 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; scaberulous. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume elliptic; 3–5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4–5.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3(–5) -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4–5.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5–7 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough on veins. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 3–4.5 mm long. Palea keels scaberulous. Rhachilla extension 2 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.5–0.7 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.3–0.7 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.5 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Poeae. Edgar 1995.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.