Poa breviglumis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes absent, or elongated. Stolons present. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms weak; 5–40 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1.5 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface; entire; obtuse. Leaf-blades 2–9 cm long; 0.5–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle open; ovate; 3–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2 -nate. Panicle branches capillary; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2–3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; smooth. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.3–0.8 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; elliptic in profile; 1.2–2 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma surface smooth; glabrous. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1–1.5 mm long. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Palea surface smooth.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.4 mm long; membranous; glabrous, or ciliate. Anthers 3; 0.2–0.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 0.9–1 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.