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 gunnii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths herbaceous; pallid. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 6–40 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; smooth, or scaberulous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths wider than blade at the collar; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1.5 mm long; scaberulous on abaxial surface, or pubescent on abaxial surface; acute. Leaf-blades involute; 5–25 cm long; 0.3–0.75 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth, or antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle open; elliptic; 3–8 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1–5 -nate. Panicle branches capillary; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5–10 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; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

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

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2 mm long; pallid, or purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Vegetative proliferation occurs.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Poeae. Vickery.

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