GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

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

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

Poa cockayniana

HABIT Perennial; mat forming, or pluricaespitose. Stolons present. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms decumbent; 20–40 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate. Leaf-blades 10–35 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade venation prominent. Leaf-blade surface smooth; puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; shorter than basal leaves. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 10–20 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches capillary; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–9.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1–1.5 mm long; scaberulous; glabrous, or sparsely hairy. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–6.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough between veins. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–6.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough between veins. Upper glume margins scabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; elliptic in profile; 5–6.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate; hairy below. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface scabrous; rough generally; pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 4–4.5 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned all along. Palea surface pubescent; hairy below. Rhachilla extension 2–3 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.5 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2 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.