Poa schistacea

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 10–30(–60) cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; keeled; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; truncate. Leaf-blades straight to curved; involute; 4.5–28 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide; grey-green. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle distinct; 4.5–25 cm long; scaberulous above.

Panicle open; 2–8 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle branches smooth to scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–7 fertile florets. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; smooth. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate to elliptic; 2.5–4 mm long; 1 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume apex acute to acuminate. Upper glume elliptic to ovate; 3–5.5 mm long; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse to acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 4–5 mm long; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea 3–3.5 mm long. Palea keels smooth, or scaberulous; adorned above; with 0.5–0.75 of their length adorned.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.3–0.6 mm long; membranous. Anthers of male floret 2–3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis 1.5–2.5 mm long. Embryo 0.25 length of caryopsis.

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

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Poeae. Edgar & Connor 2001.

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