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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 saxicola

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths herbaceous; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 25–60 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Culm-internodes terete, or elliptical in section; smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–4.5 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface, or scaberulous on abaxial surface; erose; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 10–25 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.

Panicle contracted; linear; 6–15 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–2 -nate. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–1.5 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; smooth; glabrous, or pubescent. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3.5–5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4.5–6 mm long; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 4–5.5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; shiny; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above; glabrous. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Palea ovate; 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels woolly; adorned above. Palea surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.75–1.5 mm long; pallid, or purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; trigonous; 2–2.5 mm long. Embryo 0.25 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Poeae. Vickery.

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