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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 tonsa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 7–15 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or papillose; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; erose; acute. Leaf-blades flat; 1–3.5 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; coriaceous; light green. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous.

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

Panicle open; oblong; 2–4.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; bearing 1–2 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches capillary; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 3–4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; smooth. Floret callus sparsely hairy, or woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume elliptic; 1.5–2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2–2.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 5–7 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above; puberulous; hairy below. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 1.5–2 mm long. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.2 mm long; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.3–0.6 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1–1.5 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.