Poa sudicola

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 10–25 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths keeled; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades involute; 5–9 cm long; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; hardened.

INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle open; 2–4.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–9 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 elliptic; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4–4.5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma elliptic; 4.5–5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5–7 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous; ciliolate; hairy below. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy at base; hairy on veins. Lemma apex acute. Palea 3–4 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface smooth.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.9–3.3 mm long. Staminodes present; 0.6–1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1–2 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

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

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Poeae. Edgar 1995.

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