Poaceae
Poa

Poa inconspicua Veldkamp

First published in P.van Royen, Alpine Fl. New Guinea 2: 1062 (1994)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is New Guinea. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the montane tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; cushion forming, or mat forming; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; weak; 1-10 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.1-0.25 mm long; 0.1-0.25 mm long on basal shoots; glabrous on abaxial surface; obtuse, or acute. Leaf-blades ascending, or spreading; filiform; involute; 0.6-2 cm long; 0.3-0.6 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence comprising only a few spikelets; comprising 1 fertile spikelets; shorter than basal leaves. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2.5-3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2.5-3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5-0.75 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.85-1.25 mm long; 0.33-0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 2.5-2.6 mm long; membranous; keeled; 0-3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels smooth. Rhachilla extension 1.15-1.35 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.6-0.9 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: Papuasia.
Reference
Poeae. Veldkamp 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: threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[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

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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