Class
Order
Family
Genus
Classification
Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Poa xenica Edgar & Connor, New Zealand J. Bot. 37: 63-64 (1999)
Description
Coarse long-leaved, dioecious, extravaginally branching often pendulous grass with elongate internodes and rooting at nodes; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath 10 cm, keeled, ribbed, open to base, becoming dull brown and fragile, finely retrorsely hairy, margin membranous, darker brown. Ligule 1 mm, ciliate, abaxially finely hairy. Collar conspicuous, margin short hairy. Leaf-blade to 80 cm × 3–4 mm, coriaceous, folded below and at apex, ± flat elsewhere, abaxially glabrous with some long hairs near collar, adaxially clothed with many small antrorse hairs, denser near ligule; margins very sparsely prickle-toothed below becoming almost smooth but apex prickle-toothed and sharp-pointed. Culm to 85 cm, many noded, erect or with some geniculate nodes, nodes swollen, coloured, glabrous; internodes glabrous. Panicle to 25 cm, open, violet-suffused, subtended by bract to 2.5 mm; several to many solitary rarely binate branches at internodes, naked below with solitary spikelets, branches > internodes; rachis glabrous, branches and pedicels glabrous to sparsely shortly prickle-toothed. Spikelets 10–12 mm × 2 mm, gaping at anthesis, (1)–3–4–6 widely separated florets. Glumes unequal, centrally green, violet elsewhere, nerves elevated; lower 2.5–3.5 mm, 1–3-nerved, upper 3.5–5 mm, 5-nerved (3 long, 2 short) adaxially shortly hairy at apex, margins ciliate. Lemma 4.5–6 mm, 5-nerved, centrally green, violet elsewhere, abundantly finely pubescent throughout, keel prickle-toothed above, margins ciliate, membranous above, apex recurved, shortly lobed and mucronate (0.05 mm or 0) becoming erose. Palea 4.5–5.2 mm, ≤ lemma, apex bifid, keels minutely stiff hairy. Callus 0.25 mm, short, blunt, glabrous or with a few prickle-teeth. Rachilla 1.5 mm, glabrous or with a few prickle-teeth at base; prolonged. Lodicules 0.5–1.0 mm, acutely lobed, tip ciliate. Anthers (a) male flowers: 2.75–3–3.75 mm, yellow or violet-suffused; (b) female flowers: 2–2.2 mm, white, pollenless. Gynoecium (a) male flowers: 0.8–1.0 mm; (b) female flowers: ovary 0.8–1.2 mm, glabrous; stigma-styles 2–3–3.5 mm, widely disposed, stigmatic hairs almost to base. Caryopsis not seen.
[From: Edgar and Connor (2000) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 5 (second printing).]
Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
Bibliography
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. [Data Deficient]
Edgar, E.; Connor, H. E. 1999: Species novae graminum Novae-Zelandiae I. New Zealand Journal of Botany 37(1): 63–70.
