Class
Order
Family
Genus
Classification
Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Poa spania Edgar & Molloy, New Zealand J. Bot. 37: 43-46 (1999)
Description
Small, greyish green or dull green, sometimes purple tinged, short-lived perennial, forming slender tufts to c. 22 cm with wiry leaves < culms; branching extravaginal and occasionally intravaginal above; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath pale brown to purplish, membranous, distinctly ribbed, almost smooth with a few minute prickle-teeth just below ligule especially near margins. Ligule 1–1.5 mm, ± lacerate with at least one deep cleft, ciliate, tip dentate, abaxially minutely pubescent-scabrid. Leaf-blade to 6 cm × 1 mm, folded, abaxially with sparse minute prickle-teeth on midrib, elsewhere smooth, adaxially with minute stiff hairs; margins ± inrolled, with very minute prickle-teeth. Culm to 15 cm, very slender, purplish, with 1–2 cauline leaves spreading at right angles, internodes glabrous. Panicle 2–6 cm, open, sparingly branched; rachis glabrous, branches capillary, sometimes flexuous, smooth, with a few minute prickle-teeth above, and with 1–2 spikelets at tips. Spikelets 2.2–3 mm, 2–3-flowered, silvery purplish green. Glumes subequal, 2–2.5 mm, with wide, hyaline margins, midnerve with sparse prickle-teeth near tip; lower narrower, elliptic-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, 1–3-nerved, upper ovate, obtuse, 3-nerved, sometimes with minute prickle-teeth on margins and on lateral nerves above. Lemma 2–2.4 mm, 5-nerved, ovate, obtuse, covered for ¾ length with appressed, silky hairs c. 0.1 mm, and with sparse minute prickle-teeth near membranous tip. Palea c. 2 mm, keels and interkeel with minute appressed hairs in lower ¾, keels minutely prickle-toothed above hairs. Callus with minute fine hairs. Rachilla to 0.5 mm with scattered long hairs or almost glabrous. Lodicules c. 0.4 mm. Anthers 0.7–1.1 mm, sometimes reddish. Stigma-styles 1–1.4 mm. Caryopsis c. 1.5 × 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]
Molloy, B.P.J.; Edgar, E.; Heenan, P.B.; de Lange, P.J. 1999: New species of Poa (Gramineae) and Ischnocarpus (Brassicaceae) from limestone, North Otago, South Island, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 37(1): 41–50.
