Classification
Class
Magnoliopsida Brongn.
Order
Poales Small
Family
Gramineae Juss.
Genus
Poa L.
 Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Poa buchananii Zotov, Trans. Roy. Soc. New Zealand 73: 236 (1943)
Synonymy:
  • = Poa anceps var. ε alpina Hook.f., Handb. New Zealand Fl. 339 (1864)
  • = Poa sclerophylla Berggr., Minneskr. Kongl. Fysiogr. Sällsk. Lund 8: 30 (1877) nom. illeg., non Poa sclerophylla Kunth 1833
  • = Poa albida Buchanan, Indig. Grasses of N. Z. t. 50C (1880) nom. illeg., non Poa albida Turcz. ex Trin. 1831
 Description

Glaucous, small, stiff, dense perennial tufts, 7–25 cm; leaf-blades persistent; branching intravaginal, with a few extravaginal shoots at plant base. Basal leaf-sheaths very light brown, upper sheaths purple-green, coriaceous, distinctly ribbed, glabrous, very much wider than leaf-blade. Ligule 0.5–1.5 mm, apically glabrous, rounded, ± erose, abaxially scabrid. Leaf-blade (0.5)–1.5–5 cm long, folded, c. 3 mm wide if flattened, rigid, coriaceous, prominently nerved, abaxially usually smooth, adaxially densely, minutely scabrid, midrib scabrid near curved scabrid tip; margins scabrid, incurved. Culm 6–18–(25) cm, often entirely enclosed by sheaths of uppermost leaves, internodes minutely scabrid below panicle. Panicle 1.5–5.5 cm, contracted, oblong, narrow and spike-like, with numerous, densely packed spikelets; rachis and short stiff branches minutely scabrid. Spikelets 2.5–3.5 mm, (2)–3–4-flowered, light green, often purple-tinged. Glumes ± equal, almost overtopping spikelets, (1.5)–2–2.5–(3) mm, 3-nerved, midnerve sparsely scabrid; lower elliptic-lanceolate, subacute, upper oblong-elliptic, subobtuse, often scabrid near tip; margins sparsely scabrid. Lemma 2–2.5 mm, 5-nerved, ovate-elliptic, obtuse, midnerve scabrid, internerves minutely papillose and often minutely scabrid; margins membranous, wide, edged with scattered prickle-teeth. Palea c. 1.5 mm, keels scabrid, interkeel minutely papillose with a few prickle-teeth. Callus glabrous. Rachilla c. 0.5 mm, minutely papillose; prolongation occasionally twice as long. Lodicules 0.3–0.4 mm. Anthers 0.4–0.6 mm. Gynoecium: ovary 0.4–0.5 mm; stigma-styles 0.6–1.2 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.
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.
Hooker, J.D. 1864: Handbook of the New Zealand Flora: a systematic description of the native plants of New Zealand and the Chatham, Kermadec's, Lord Auckland's, Campbell's and Macquarie's Islands. Part I. Reeve, London.
Zotov, V.D. 1943: Certain Changes in the Nomenclature of New Zealand Species of Gramineae. Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand 73: 233–238.