Common name
Soft Snowgrass

Derivation
Poa L., Sp. Pl. 67 (1753); from the Greek poa (grass, especially as fodder).

hiemata- from the Latin hiems (winter).

Published in
Contr. New South Wales Natl Herb. 4: 230, t. IX, 3 (1970).

Habit
Perennial, densely tufted. Rhizomes elongated. Basal leaf sheaths herbaceous, pallid. Young shoots intravaginal. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, slender, 15–60 cm tall, 2-noded. Mid-culm internodes terete, smooth. Mid-culm nodes glabrous. Lateral branches simple. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths smooth, glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringed membrane, 0.2–0.5 mm long, truncate. Leaf-blades conduplicate or involute, (5–)7–15(–25) cm long, 0.4–2 mm wide, coriaceous, firm, light green. Leaf-blade surface scabrous, glabrous.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Peduncle smooth or scaberulous above. Panicle open, pyramidal, 5–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading, 1–3-nate. Panicle branches capillary, scabrous.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Pedicels scabrous. Fertile spikelets many flowered, comprising 3–5 fertile florets, with diminished florets at the apex, ovate, laterally compressed, 3.5–8 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus glabrous or woolly.

Glumes
Glumes persistent, similar. Lower glume oblong, 1.9–2.1 mm long, 90% length of upper glume, membranous, 1-keeled, 3-nerved, midnerve scabrous. Lower glume apex acute or acuminate. Upper glume oblong, 2.2–2.4 mm long, membranous, 1-keeled, 3-nerved, midnerve scabrous. Upper glume apex acute or acuminate.

Florets
Fertile lemma oblong, oblong in profile, (2–)2.6–2.8(–3.5) mm long, membranous, 5-nerved. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex obtuse or acute. Palea 90% of length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous, ciliolate, adorned below (ciliolate). Palea surface pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped. Lodicules 2, membranous. Anthers 3, 1.4–1.6(–2) mm long, yellow. Grain with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

Continental Distribution:
Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania.

New South Wales: South Coast, Southern Tablelands. Victoria: Wilsons Promontory, Snowfields. Tasmania: Central Highlands, Ben Lomond.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Pooideae

Notes
Endemic. Alpine and subalpine heath and grasslands above 1500 m. Flowers Jan.–Feb. Fruits Feb.–Mar.