Poa megalantha

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms 60–100 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaves distichous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 25–55 cm long; 5–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; dense; 5–15 cm long; 2.5–3.5 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus woolly.

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

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.5–5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy between veins. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

MALE Male inflorescence similar to female. Male spikelets resembling female.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Parodi 1996.

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