Poa xenica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 40–85 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes swollen; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; 5–10 cm long; keeled; ribbed; pubescent (retrorsely). Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface. Leaf-blades flat; 40–80 cm long; 3–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by bracts.

Panicle lanceolate; 12–25 cm long. Panicle axis smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets laterally compressed; 10–12 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.5 mm long. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume 2.5–3.5 mm long; purple; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume 3.5–5 mm long; purple; 5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume margins ciliate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma 4.5–6 mm long; purple; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous (above). Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex erose. Palea present; 4.5–5.2 mm long; 2-keeled. Palea keels scabrous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.5–1 mm long; membranous; ciliate. Anthers of male flowers 2.75–3.5 mm long; yellow, or purple.

MALE Male inflorescence similar to female.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Poeae. Edgar & Connor 2001.

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