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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 hothamensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock not evident, or evident. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths herbaceous; purple. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–90 cm long; 3 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; scaberulous. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths loose; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–2 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; obtuse. Leaf-blades 7–30 cm long; 1.5–5 mm wide; dark green, or glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

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

Panicle open; elliptic; 3–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–5 -nate; 1–12 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus woolly.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 2 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 2 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; elliptic in profile; 2.75–3.75 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy below; hairy on back. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous; ciliolate; adorned in the middle. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Poeae. Vickery.

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