Poa iconia Azn., Magyar Bot. Lapok 1918, xvii. 67. 1919 var. iconia Fig. 3

Type.

Turkey. Anatolia centralis [Lycaonia:] Mont Hagios [ ‘Agios’ on G isotypes] Philippos, pres de Konia, 30 Apr 1913, B.V.D. Post (lectotype, designated here: Post B 53, E (E00367667!); isolectotypes: G (G00308664 [image!], G00386674 [image!])).

- sect. unplaced.

Distribution.

Cape Province, mainly Asia Minor and SW Europe. Introduced rare in South Africa, originating from Asia Minor and SW Europe.

Ecology.

similar to Poa bulbosa . Mediterranean climate.

Flowering.

Spring.

Economics.

One collection site known from 2007, likely more common by now, good spring forage, but potentially invasive.

Voucher.

South Africa. Northern Cape: Sutherland District, Komsberg Farm Schietfontein 179, 32°40'29"S, 20°48'51"E, open shrubland, level, along drainage line (moist), sandstone gravel, abundant, 1474 m alt., 28 Sep 2007, V.R. Clark & C. Kelly 269 (PRE8610990).

Notes.

First report for the African continent and South Africa and Lesotho. Poa iconia was recognised as Poa pelasgis H. Scholz (Scholz 1985), a synonym of Poa iconia var. pelasgis (H. Scholz) Soreng (Soreng and Simmons 2018), its normal-flowered counterpart. The species genotype markers suggest it is only remotely related to P. bulbosa (Cabi et al. 2016). Aznavour (1918) did not state a collection number or herbarium. Only three sheets have been located that match the protologue, all Post B 53 (the E sheet originally had B29, but that was crossed out and replaced by 53), all three are viviparous. We select the E sheet where Aznavour’s herbarium and types are kept as the lectotype. Apomictic via bulbifery. 2 n = unknown (possibly, in a few cases, counted as P. bulbosa var. vivipara .) - Nn genotype (Cabi et al. 2016).