Poa trivialis L., Sp. Pl. 1: 67. 1753. subsp. trivialis

Soreng, Robert J., Sylvester, Steven P., Sylvester, Mitsy D. P. V. & Clark, Vincent Ralph, 2020, 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, PhytoKeys 165, pp. 27-50 : 27

Poa trivialis L., Sp. Pl. 1: 67. 1753. subsp. trivialis Fig. 8

Type.

Habitat in Europae pascuis, no date, Hudson 16 (neotype, designated by Soreng in Cafferty et al. [2000: 256]: LINN (LINN-87.9!)).

Many heterotypic synonyms.

- P. sect. Pandemos Asch. & Graebn., Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 2: 425. 1900. Type, P. trivialis L.

Distribution.

South Africa, Gautan Province. Introduced, native to western Eurasia and North Africa, introduced to sub-Saharan Africa in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Ecology.

ruderal of temperate climates.

Flowering.

spring.

Economics.

rarely collected. Sometimes seeded for pastures, invasive.

Vouchers.

South Africa. Gauteng: Johannesburg, Rosebank 50 Bath Ave., 28 Dec 1962, Meredith s.n. (PRE0021311-0); Gauteng: Johannesburg, Hort. Rosebank, Mar 1965, Meredith s.n. (PRE0029743-0).

Notes.

Poa trivialis subsp. trivialis is reputedly self-incompatible and sexually reproducing ( Connor 1979). It can be quite invasive in temperate climates with a cool wet season. Aesthetically, it makes a poor lawn grass due to its sprawling habit when mown. Valdés and Scholz (2009) recorded it only for Algeria in North Africa. The second major subspecies, P. t. subsp. sylvicola (Guss.) H. Lindb., has bead-like swellings along the stolons and more hair on the lemma marginal veins and is more tolerant of drought: It is infrequently found outside of the Mediterranean basin and Irano-Turainian floristic region, but is reported across northern Africa ( Valdés and Scholz 2009). 2 n = 14, 14 + 1 - 2B, 15, 27, 28 (27 and 28 counts not confirmed to subspecies may represent subsp. sylvicola ). - Vv genotype.

Figures

Figure 8. Poa trivialis. A whole plant B part of inflorescence with spikelets mostly in lateral view. Images of Meredith s. n. (PRE 0021311 - 0).