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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 tennantiana

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms robust; 50–100 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 6–16 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; acuminate. Leaf-blades 16–38 cm long; 4.5–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface papillose; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle contracted; 9–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3.5–4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; smooth. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3–3.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous; ciliate; hairy below. Lemma surface scaberulous; puberulous; hairy below; hairy on veins. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2.5–3 mm long. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above. Palea surface smooth. Rhachilla extension 1 mm long.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.5–0.8 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 1–1.5 mm long.

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

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Poeae. Edgar 1995.

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