Poa intrusa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 30–60 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths keeled; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1.5 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 7–15.5 cm long; 2–3.5 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 6.5–18 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; bearing 2–4 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6.5–9.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; scaberulous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 4–5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 4–5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5–3.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Rhachilla extension 2 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Poeae. Edgar 1995.

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