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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 novarae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect; 30–45 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths 7–13 cm long; longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades convolute; 17–23 cm long; 4–6 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; hardened.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; aerial, or shorter than basal leaves.

Panicle contracted; oblong; 10–13 cm long; 5–8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 2–3 -nate; 3–5 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume surface pilose; hairy at base and on veins. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy below and on veins. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; elliptic in profile; 3 mm long; membranous; light green; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose; hairy below; hairy on veins. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned in the middle. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.

NOTES Poeae. Reichart 2010.

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