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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 spania

HABIT Perennial; short-lived; caespitose. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 10–22 cm long; wiry. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths ribbed; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; scaberulous on abaxial surface; lacerate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 3–6 cm long; 1 mm wide; grey-green. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; 2–6 cm long. Primary panicle branches bearing 1–2 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle axis smooth; glabrous. Panicle branches capillary; smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2.2–3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; glabrous, or sparsely hairy. Floret callus sparsely hairy.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; with lower narrower than upper; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–2.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 2–2.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2–2.4 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 2 mm long. Palea keels puberulous; adorned below; with 0.75 of their length adorned. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.4 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.7–1.1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.5 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Poeae. Edgar 2001.

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