Poaceae
Poa

Poa tenera F.Muell. ex Hook.f.

First published in Fl. Tasman. 2: 124 (1858)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Australia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Cataphylls evident. Stolons present. Butt sheaths herbaceous. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect, or rambling; weak; 10-30 cm long. Culm-internodes terete; smooth, or scaberulous; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths loose; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5-1.5 mm long; glabrous on abaxial surface, or scaberulous on abaxial surface; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; flat, or conduplicate, or convolute; 5-20 cm long; 1-1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth. Panicle open; elliptic; 2-12 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2-6 -nate. Panicle branches capillary; scaberulous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 3-4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 3-4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 1-1.5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume oblong; 1-1.5 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; oblong in profile; 2-3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy below. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 0.9 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous; eciliate, or ciliate; adorned below (ciliate). Palea surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on back. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1-1.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Poeae. Vickery.
[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