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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 gayana
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths papery. Culms erect; 20–30 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2.5–3 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 5–8 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.
INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; linear, or oblong; 5–9 cm long. Panicle branches scaberulous; hispidulous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus woolly.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 3–4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.
DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.
NOTES Poeae. WDC 1997.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.