Poa lowanensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent, or short. Culms erect; 45–90 cm long. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate. Leaf-blades erect; conduplicate, or involute; 20–40 cm long; 1–3 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 15–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; elliptic in profile; 3.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; light brown and purple; mottled with last colour; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate, or ciliate; hairy at base. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below; hairy on back, or on veins. Lemma apex entire, or erose; emarginate, or truncate, or obtuse. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back; hairy below. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Poeae. Walsh 1997.

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