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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 spiciformis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb; dark brown; persistent and investing base of culm. Culms 5–15 cm long; 1 -noded. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; filiform; convolute; 2–7 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; oblong, or ovate; 1–6.5 cm long; 1–1.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1–3.5 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5.5–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus woolly. Floret callus hairs 0.2 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3.5–5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4–5.5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 4.5–6 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy below. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scabrous; ciliate; adorned below (as to hairs). Palea surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 2.2–2.3 mm long. Staminodes present; 0.2–0.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; trigonous; 2 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

MALE Male inflorescence similar to female. Male spikelets resembling female; 2–5 flowered.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pat 1995.

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