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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 litorosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths coriaceous; yellow, or grey, or light brown; glossy. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 100–180 cm long; wiry. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.3–1 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate. Leaf-blades involute; 10–65 cm long; 2 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface smooth; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; shorter than basal leaves. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 6–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 11–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1–1.5 mm long; pubescent. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5–7 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; elliptic in profile; 6–7.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; pubescent; hairy below; hairy on veins. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 5.5–6.5 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea surface scaberulous. Rhachilla extension 2–3 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.8–1.5 mm long; membranous; glabrous, or ciliate. Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.

NOTES Poeae. Edgar 1995.

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