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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 crassicaudex
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Butt sheaths herbaceous; pallid. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 50–90 cm long; 3 -noded; not swollen at the base, or swollen at the base; forming an ovoid corm. Culm-internodes terete; smooth; distally pubescent (below nodes). Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths loose; smooth; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane; 1.5 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 15–30 cm long; 0.75–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth; glabrous, or pubescent above.
Panicle open; elliptic; 8–17 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading. Panicle branches scabrous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–8 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 ovate; 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 ovate; 0.75–0.8 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 ovate; elliptic in profile; 2–4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy below. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below; hairy on back. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous; ciliate; adorned in the middle. Palea surface pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.5 mm long; yellow.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Poeae. Vickery.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
