Poaceae
Poa

Poa foliosa (Hook.f.) Hook.f.

First published in Handb. N. Zeal. Fl. 1: 338 (1864)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. New Zealand South Island to Macquarie Islands. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths coriaceous; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms robust; 100-150 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths keeled; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-3 mm long; scaberulous on abaxial surface; obtuse. Leaf-blades 15-40 cm long; 3-6 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade midrib keeled beneath. Leaf-blade surface grooved on either side of midline; scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex hardened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth. Panicle contracted; 10-25 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches smooth. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male inflorescence similar to female. Male spikelets resembling female.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-6 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7-9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; smooth. Floret callus woolly.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-6 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7-9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; smooth. Floret callus woolly.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3-5 mm long; 0.75 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 acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 4-5.5 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma oblong; 5-6 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy below. Lemma surface scabrous; pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex acute. Palea 3.5-4.5 mm long. Palea keels ciliate. Palea surface puberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; 0.4-0.7 mm long; membranous; glabrous, or ciliate. Anthers 3; 2.5-3.5 mm long. Staminodes present; 0.6-1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2 mm long. Hilum punctiform.
sex Male
Male inflorescence similar to female. Male spikelets resembling female.
Distribution
Australasia: New Zealand. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.
Reference
Poeae. Edgar 1995.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0