New records and key to Poa (Pooideae, Poaceae) from the Flora of Southern Africa region and notes on taxa including a diclinous breeding system in Poa binata
Author
Soreng, Robert J.
Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20560, USA
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8358-4915
sorengr@si.edu
Author
Sylvester, Steven P.
College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Long Pan Road No. 159, Nanjing, 210037, China
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5577-8782
Author
Sylvester, Mitsy D. P. V.
College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Long Pan Road No. 159, Nanjing, 210037, China
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3582-0327
Author
Clark, Vincent Ralph
Afromontane Research Unit and Department of Geography, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa Campus, Phuthaditjhaba, 9866, South Africa
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5058-0742
text
PhytoKeys
2020
165
27
50
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.165.55948
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.165.55948
1314-2003-165-27
FACD36B5F24A57F3AD4B88EEDC3EE9B5
Poa pratensis L., Sp. Pl. 1: 67-68, 1753.
Type.
Russia. Prov. Sanct-Petersburg: 5 km australi-occidentum, 26 June 1997, N.N. Tzvelev N-257 (conserved type, designated by
Soreng and Barrie 1999
: 157: BM!; isotypes: B!, C!, CAN!, CONC!, H!, K!, KW!, L!, LE!, LIV!, MA!, MO!, MW!, NSW!, P!, PE!, PR!, S!, SI!, TNS!, US (US3456252!), W!).
Many heterotypic synonyms.
-
P. sect. Poa
. Type,
P. pratensis
L. (Type of genus
Poa
L.)
Distribution.
widespread in Lesotho and South Africa. Introduced, mainly from European sources, native and widespread in Eurasia (also native in part in North America) and now around the world.
Ecology.
cool temperate to subarctic, mesic habitats.
Flowering.
late spring early summer, to late summer at high elevations.
Vouchers.
Lesotho
. West of Sehlabathebe National Park, on grassy slopes above the Leqooa-Legowa river,
S29.859179
E29.055580
, 2310 m alt., sandstone substrate, mesic soil on steep grassy W facing slopes, 21 Feb 2020, S.P. Sylvester et al. 3571 (US).
South Africa
. Eastern Cape: Naudes Nek pass, near Rhodes, in grassland next to radio tower,
S30.765121
E28.092349
, 2585 m alt., basaltic substrate, alpine tussock grassland transitioning to low shrubland dominated by
Erica
and
Helichrysum
, fairly heavily grazed by sheep and cattle, gently sloping, moderately deep soil, 13 Feb 2020, S.P. Sylvester et al. 3499 (PRE, US).
Notes.
There are three major subspecies recognised in
Poa pratensis
: subsp.
angustifolia
,
irrigata
and
pratensis
. Intermediate specimens are common and difficult to place.
Cope and Gray (2009)
provide a good account of the distinctions, also see
Soreng (2007)
. Facultatively apomictic. 2
n
= 21-147 (including nearly every number in between). -
Php
genotype.