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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 foliosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths coriaceous; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms robust; 100–150 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths keeled; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long; scaberulous on abaxial surface; obtuse. Leaf-blades 15–40 cm long; 3–6 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade midrib keeled beneath. Leaf-blade surface grooved on either side of midline; scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex hardened.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle contracted; 10–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; smooth. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1(–3) -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 4–5.5 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma oblong; elliptic in profile; 5–6 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy below. Lemma surface scabrous; pubescent; hairy below; hairy on veins. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 3.5–4.5 mm long. Palea keels scaberulous; ciliate; adorned in the middle. Palea surface puberulous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.4–0.7 mm long; membranous; glabrous, or ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.5–3.5 mm long. Staminodes present; 0.6–1 mm long.

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

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.

NOTES Poeae. Edgar 1995.

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