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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 kirkii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons absent, or present. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 20–50 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–4 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface, or scaberulous on abaxial surface; entire; acute. Leaf-blades 7.5–10 cm long; 1–3 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially, or on both sides; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.

Panicle open; 5–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3–6.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5–1 mm long. Floret callus glabrous, or sparsely hairy.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5–4 mm long; 0.75–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2–5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or ovate; elliptic in profile; 2–5 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate, or ciliolate; hairy below. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough on veins; glabrous. Lemma apex truncate, or obtuse. Palea 1.5–4 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy on back. Rhachilla extension 1–2 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.3–0.6 mm long; membranous; glabrous, or ciliate. Anthers 3; 0.6–1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1–1.5 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Poeae. Edgar 1995.

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