Class
Order
Family
Genus
Classification
Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Festuca matthewsii subsp. pisamontis Connor (1998)
Description
Tall to modestly short tussock with very smooth or minutely prickle-toothed fine leaf-blades, below laxly branched inflorescence of large spikelets with conspicuously awned florets. Prophyll 3–5 cm, stramineous, keels ± antrorsely toothed, apex ciliate. Leaf-sheath (2.5)–4.5–7 cm, glabrous, striate, stramineous, margin membranous; apical auricles (0.4)–0.5–0.8–(1.3) mm, rounded, ciliate. Ligule 0.3–0.6 mm, ciliate. Leaf-blade 10–15–(20) cm, occasionally 5–8 cm, × 0.4–0.6 mm diam., hexagonal and ribbed or ± terete, pointed, abaxially smooth or minutely or imperceptibly antrorsely prickle-toothed on ribs, adaxially and on margins abundantly short white antrorsely hairy; TS: 5 vascular bundles, 7 sclerenchyma strands. Culm (11)–30–40 cm, erect, well exserted above leaf-blades; nodes visible; internodes smooth but sometimes occasionally minutely prickle-toothed. Panicle (2.5)–6–10–(13) cm with 5–9 nodes, (4)–8–10–(16) spikelets; branches solitary sometimes binate, lax, naked below, basal branch (1.2)–2–4–(5.5) cm, of (1)–2–(5) spikelets, uppermost 3–5 spikelets solitary on short pedicels; rachis prickle-toothed on margins throughout or sometimes glabrous below becoming scabrid above, branches and pedicels prickle-toothed. Spikelets 10–12–(15) mm × 3–5 mm, of 5–6 florets. Glumes unequal, keeled or slightly so, prickle-teeth above, usually brown or purpled centrally, margins mem-branous, ciliate; lower 2.8–4.0 mm, 1-nerved, long triangular acute or blunt, upper 3.5–5.5 mm, 3-nerved, narrowly ovate, obtuse to acute. Lemma (3.7)–5–6.2 mm, lobes short (0.1 mm), rounded, glabrous except for prickle-teeth at apex and near awn, glaucous; awn 1.2–2.5 mm. Palea (4.5)–5.5–6.8 mm, often=lemma, acute, deeply (0.6 mm) bifid, keels toothed in upper ½-⅔, interkeel hairs above, margins of flanks ciliate above. Callus 0.2–0.3 mm, margin very sparsely shortly bearded; articulation flat. Rachilla 1–1.5 mm, short stiff antrorsely hairy. Lodicules 0.8–1.2 mm, lobed, usually hair-tipped. Anthers 2.8–3.7 mm, yellow. Gynoecium: ovary 0.6–0.9 mm, obovate, apex usually with hispid hairs; stigma-styles 1.2–1.3 mm. Caryopsis 3 mm; embryo 1 mm; hilum ± 2 mm.
[From: Edgar and Connor (2000) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 5 (second printing).]
Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
Bibliography
Connor, H.E. 1998: Festuca (Poaceae: Gramineae) in New Zealand 1. Indigenous Taxa. New Zealand Journal of Botany 36: 329–367.
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Hitchmough, R.; Townsend, A.J. 2009: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand (2008 revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 47: 61–96. [Naturally uncommon]
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Heenan, P.B.; Courtney, S.P.; Molloy, B.P.J.; Ogle, C.C.; Rance, B.D. 2004: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42(1): 45–76.
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.N.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P.B.; Ladley, K. 2018: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 22. [Naturally Uncommon]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Champion, P.D.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Norton, D.A.; Hitchmough, R.A. 2013: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 3. Department of Conservation, Wellington. [Naturally Uncommon]
