Classification
Class
Magnoliopsida Brongn.
Order
Poales Small
Family
Gramineae Juss.
Genus
Poa L.
 Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Poa pusilla Berggr., Minneskr. Kongl. Fysiogr. Sällsk. Lund 8: 31 (1877)
Synonymy:
  • = Poa anceps var. ε debilis Kirk in Buchanan, Indig. Grasses of N. Z. t. 46 E (1880) – as e debilis
  • = Poa anceps var. ζ minima Buchanan, Indig. Grasses of N. Z. t. 46 F (1880) – as f minima
  • = Poa seticulmis Petrie, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 34: 391 (1902)
  • ≡ Poa pusilla var. seticulmis (Petrie) Cockayne, Report Dune. N. Zeal. 34 (1911)
  • = Poa anceps var. gracilis Cheeseman, Man. New Zealand Fl. 904 (1906)
 Description

Slender, often delicate, open, perennial tufts, 5-c. 35 cm, with few, very narrow, flaccid, bright green leaves, and slender, long-creeping rhizome; branching extravaginal; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath greenish purple becoming light brown, ± membranous, distinctly keeled, ribs strong, whitish, shaggy pubescent-scabrid, or minutely scabrid throughout or only near hyaline margins, occasionally with a few longer hairs on margins near ligule, rarely completely glabrous. Ligule 0.2–0.5 mm, truncate, ciliate, sometimes erose, abaxially with minute hairs. Leaf-blade (1)–5–15–(25) cm ×c. 0.5 mm diam., folded, rarely flat and wider, margins inrolled, abaxially distinctly ribbed, glabrous, adaxially with scattered short hairs especially on midrib, tip subacute to curved, scabrid on midrib. Culm 3–30–(50) cm, very slender, erect or drooping above, internodes glabrous. Panicle 1.5–8.5 cm; branches spreading, few, filiform, scabrid, bearing 1–4 spikelets at tips. Spikelets 3–7.5 mm, 2–5–(7)-flowered, yellow-green, faintly purplish. Glumes subequal, 2–4–(4.5) mm, 3-nerved, narrow elliptic- to ovate-lanceolate, acute or subacute, smooth, midnerve and sometimes lateral nerves sparsely scabrid. Lemma 2–4–(5) mm, 5-nerved, oblong- to ovate-elliptic, obtuse, midnerve with long silky crinkled hairs in lower ½, sometimes scabrid above hairs, lateral nerves usually with conspicuous silky hairs near base or in lower ½, internerves usually smooth, rarely finely scabrid, with hyaline band at slightly erose tip. Palea 2–3.5 mm, keels short ciliate-scabrid, interkeel short pubescent-scabrid, flanks smooth to scabrid. Callus with thick tuft of long, silky crinkled hairs. Rachilla (0.3)–0.6–0.8 mm, with scattered long hairs. Lodicules c. 0.5 mm. Anthers 1–2 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.5 mm. 2n= 28.

[From: Edgar and Connor (2000) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 5 (second printing).]

 Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
 Bibliography
Berggren, S. 1877: Några nya eller ofullständigt kända arter af ny-zeeländska fanerogamer. Minneskrift Utgifven af Kongl. Fysiografiska Sällskapet i Lund 8: 21–24.
Buchanan, J. 1880: The Indigenous Grasses of New Zealand. Vol. Part V & VI. Wellington, N.Z.
Cheeseman, T.F. 1906: Manual of the New Zealand Flora. Government Printer, Wellington.
Cockayne, L. 1911: Report on the Dune-areas of New Zealand. Their Geology, Botany and Reclamation. Department of Lands, Wellington, N.Z.
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. [Not Threatened]
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. [Not Threatened]
Edgar, E. 1986: Poa L. in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 24: 425–503.
Petrie, D. 1902 ("1901"): Descriptions of New Native Plants, and Notes. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 34: 390–396.