GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Poa queenslandica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rootstock evident. Cataphylls evident. Butt sheaths herbaceous. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50–150 cm long; 5–9 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths loose; striately veined; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface; entire, or lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades 20–40 cm long; 4–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle open; ovate; 12–30 cm long; 8–16 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 5–8 -nate; 10–28 cm long. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 4–8 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 3–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 2–2.2 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; elliptic in profile; 2.5–3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough on veins; glabrous. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Palea surface scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1–1.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.8 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Poeae. Vickery.

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