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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Poa cheelii

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths herbaceous; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 40–100 cm long; 3 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths keeled; scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate. Leaf-blades 8–25 cm long; 1–4 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.

Panicle open; elliptic; 8–25 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2–6 -nate; 4–14 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 2–3 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 2–3 mm long; 0.5–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; elliptic in profile; 3–4.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous; ciliate; hairy below. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.8–2.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Poeae. Vickery.

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