Poa morrisii
Vickery. Contr. New South Wales Natl Herb. 4: 239, t. XII, 1–2 (1970).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Pooideae. Tribe Poeae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Australia: Victoria: Sandringham: 1934, P.
Morris (HT: : MEL; IT: K).
Key references
(books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia, [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South
Australia (154), [2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia, Vol 44A.
Poaceae 2 (317).
Illustrations:
[2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia (154, fig. 107), [2009]. A.Wilson (ed.),
Flora of Australia 44A: Poaceae 2 (323, Fig. 43).
Habit.
Perennial. Rhizomes absent or present, elongated. Culms 45–95 cm tall, 2–3
-noded. Mid-culm internodes pubescent or pilose. Mid-culm nodes pubescent.
Lateral branches simple. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth, hairy.
Ligule a fringed membrane, a ciliolate membrane or a ciliate membrane, 1–1.5 mm
long, abaxially hairy, truncate. Leaf-blades erect, flat or conduplicate or involute,
15–30 cm long, 0.6–1(–3.5) mm wide. Leaf-blade surface indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle elliptic, 9–25 cm long.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile
florets (3–8), comprising 3–8 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the
apex, oblong or ovate, laterally compressed, 3.8–6.8 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes
similar. Lower glume oblong, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, 3 -nerved. Lower
glume surface indumented. Upper glume oblong, 1.9–3 mm long, membranous,
keeled, 1-keeled, 3 -nerved. Upper glume surface indumented.
Florets.
Fertile lemma 2.2–4 mm long, keeled, 5 -nerved. Lemma surface indumented.
Lodicules present. Anthers 3.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: South Australia, Victoria.
South Australia:
South-eastern. Victoria: East Gippsland, Eastern Highlands, Gippsland
Highlands, Gippsland Plain, Grampians, Lowan Mallee, Midlands, Otway Plain,
Otway Range, Wilsons Promontory, Snowfields, Wannon, Wimmera.
Notes.
Conspicuous features include the densely, softly long hairy, grey-green leaves;
the dense, long white hairs fringing the ligule; the glume keel often scabrous
to the base; the distinct cilia on the lemma margins and palea keels.
Endemic. Usually
associated with dry grassy woodland on poor often rocky soils. Flowers
Oct.-Nov.
