Class
Order
Family
Genus
Classification
Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Puccinellia raroflorens Edgar, New Zealand J. Bot. 34: 22-23 (1996)
Description
Low-growing perennial to 4.5 cm, sometimes forming a loosely woven mat to 2 m diam. or more, usually almost entirely covered by soil, rarely flowering and only the short very narrow dull green curved leaves visible; branching extravaginal. Leaf-sheath glabrous, submembranous, much wider than leaf-blade, ribs few, distinct. Ligule 0.2–0.6 mm, subhyaline, obtuse or truncate. Leaf-blade 1–3 cm × 0.2–0.5 mm, setaceous, involute, glabrous, subacute, margins minutely scaberulous. Culm entirely hidden by leaf-sheaths. Panicle rarely present, 10–16 mm, overtopped by leaf-blades, bearing up to 12 spikelets, lowermost branches enclosed by leaf-sheaths, smooth, uppermost branches scaberulous. Spikelets 3–4–(4.8) mm, 4–6-flowered, green to brownish green. Glumes unequal, ovate, obtuse, submembranous; lower 0.6–1 mm, 1-nerved, upper 1.1–1.4 mm, 3-nerved. Lemma 1.8–2.5 mm, 5-nerved, ovate-elliptic, entirely glabrous, midnerve ± reaching subacute apex. Palea ≈ lemma, keels scabrid in upper ⅔. Rachilla 0.4–0.5 mm. Anthers 0.4–0.6 mm. Caryopsis 1.2–1.6 × 0.6–0.7 mm.
[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. [Nationally Critical]
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. [Nationally Critical]
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. [Nationally Critical]
Edgar, E. 1996: Puccinellia Parl. (Gramineae: Poeae) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 34: 17–32.
Edgar, E.; Connor, H.E. 2010: Flora of New Zealand Volume V Grasses. Edition 2. Manaaki Whenua Press.
