58 Transactions. 



lection contains specimens of this grass from some twenty-five widely 

 separated stations, and in more than half of these it is the short-liguled 

 form that occurs. The only North Island station for this form known 

 to me is Mount Egmont. In the South Island both forms are widely 

 spread, but the short-liguled form seems to predominate at considerable 

 elevations in the southern and south-western districts. 



17. Poa caespitosa Forst. f. var. planifolia var. nov. 



Culmi validi, florentes folia aequantes vel paullo excedentes, fructiferi 

 + elongati, 5-6 dcm. alti, vaginis longis scabriusculis sulcatis ad paniculi 

 basim vestiti. 



Folia plana + coriacea a parte media 5 mm. lata, laminis glabris 

 erectis v. ascendentibus, carina prominente. 



Panicula 2-3 dcm. longa anguste ovata, ramorum longorum scabridorum 

 complurium parce divisorum fasciculis distantibus. 



Spieulae subsessiles majusculae 6-7 mm. longae, glumis ubique delicate 

 scaberulis. 



Densely tufted, forming large dark-green tussocks. 



Stems stout when in flower equalling or slightly exceeding the leaves 

 elongating more or less later, 5-6 dcm. long, clothed to the base of the 

 panicle by the long scaberulous grooved sheaths. 



Leaves on each culm rather few, blades flat, smooth, 5 mm. wide at the 

 middle, stiff, usually coriaceous, erect or ascending, with prominent keel 

 and numerous fine veins, edges smooth except at the tips. 



Panicle 2-3 dcm. long, narrow ovate, with distant rather numerous 

 long little-divided scabrid branches. 



Spikelets nearly sessile, rather large, 6-7 mm. long, empty and flowering 

 glumes everywhere finely scabrid ; palea almost equalling the flowering- 

 glume. 



Hob. — Antipodes Island ; H. J. Matthews. 



I have seen only garden-grown specimens of this grass, propagated 

 from the seed of a plant brought by Mr. Matthews from Antipodes Island. 

 It is most likely identical with the grass which Mr. T. Kirk referred to 

 Poa anceps Forst. f. (see vol. 3, p. 231,' of the w ' Report of the Austral- 

 asian Association for the Advancement of Science "). To this species it 

 shows some approximation, but its true place seems to be in Poa caespitosa, 

 a species that is known to form the principal pasture grass on Campbell 

 Island. It is highly improbable that Poa anceps should extend to any of 

 the subantarctic islands of New Zealand, as it does not range as far south 

 as Otago, or even South Canterbury. Mr. Cheeseman has, indeed, recorded 

 that it extends to Foveaux Strait, but this statement is most likely in- 

 correct. I am pretty well acquainted with the vegetation of the Bluff 

 Hill, but have never seen Poa anceps there. The most southerly localities 

 for this grass known to me are the Broken River basin in North Canterbury, 

 and Fox's River, near Brighton, in south-west Nelson. The late Mr. 

 Buchanan at one time believed that Poa anceps was a common plant in 

 Otago, and on a botanical outing with me he expressed great surprise at 

 not meeting with it. From that time I kept a close lookout for the grass, 

 but I have nowhere seen it south of the limits mentioned above. Dr. 

 Cockavne did not observe it on Stewart Island. 



