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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 plicata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; 10–20 cm long; with 0.5 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-internodes terete; antrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; keeled; scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 15–25 cm long; 6–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; dense; 5–7 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate; 2–4 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 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. Rhachilla internodes 0.5–1 mm long; scaberulous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6 mm long; 0.9–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough below. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; elliptic in profile; 4–6.5 mm long; membranous; light green; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma surface scabrous; rough below; pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Hackel 1995.

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