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 meionectes

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths herbaceous. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 10–60 cm long; 2 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; smooth, or scaberulous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tight; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades flexuous; filiform; involute; 5–15 cm long; 0.3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle open; elliptic; 1–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1–4 -nate. Panicle branches capillary; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.6–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; elliptic in profile; 2–3.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate, or ciliolate; hairy at base. Lemma surface scabrous; rough on veins; glabrous. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate; hairy at base. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Palea surface scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1.25 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Poeae. Vickery.

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