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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 ligularis
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb; pallid, or yellow. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 10–15 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 8–18 mm long; 5 mm long on basal shoots; acute. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate, or convolute; 10–20 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially.
INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; elliptic; 6–18 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–13 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. Floret callus woolly. Floret callus hairs 1 length of lemma.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2.5–4 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 4–5 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy below. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; trigonous; 1.5–2.8 mm long. Hilum punctiform.
MALE Male inflorescence similar to female. Male spikelets resembling female; 3–8 flowered; 4–5 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil and southern South America.
NOTES Poeae. Fl Pat 1995.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
