Pbtrie. — New Species and Varieties of Native Phanerogams. 275 



Hah. — Banks of Rolleston River, Westland. 



The specimens, kindly sent me for identification, were collected by 

 Dr. L. Cockayne, F.R.S., F.L.S., late in the season, and are all consider- 

 ably past flower. He mentions that the grass has a somewhat wide dis- 

 tribution in the higher valleys of the western side of the South Island. 

 For years past Dr. Cockayne has collected native grasses with unwearied 

 zeal and great discrimination, and well deserves to have his name asso- 

 ciated with this discovery. 



16. Poa Guthrie-Smithiana sp. nov. 



Culmi dense caespitosi, infra serpentes v. prostrati, tenuissimi, pluri- 

 nodosi, a nodis ramos confertos ascendentes flaccidos intravaginales foliosos 

 floriferosque 15-30 cm. longos edentes. 



Folia culmis paulo breviora, anguste linearia, complicata, levia, glabra, 

 12-20 cm. longa ; vaginae latae, tenues, striatae ; ligula brevis, acuta, 

 lamina multo latior. 



Panicula perangusta, erecta, viridis, 5-10 cm. longa ; rami 3-5 verti- 

 cillati, erecti, graciles, delicate scabridi, infra nudi, 3-5 spiculas pedicellatas 

 gerentes. 



Spiculae 6 mm. longae, ovatae, 2-4 floreae. 



Glumae vacuae inaequales, spicula parte tertia breviores. Gluma 

 florifera lanceolata, acuta, glabra, carinata, 3-nervata, nervo medio paulum 

 excurrente, nervis lateralibus supra evanidis. Palea gluma florigera paulo 

 brevior, 2-nervata ; nervis delicate ciliatis. 



Stamina palea circa partem tertiam breviora. 



Culms densely tufted, below prostrate or creeping, very slender, many- 

 uoded, giving oS from the nodes closely placed slender flaccid intravaginal 

 leafy and flower-bearing branches 15-30 cm. long. 



Leaves rather shorter than the culms, narrow-linear, complicate, smooth, 

 glabrous, obsoletely nerved, 12-20 cm. long; sheaths broad, open, thin, 

 striate, about ^ as long as the blades; ligule thin, short, acute, much 

 broader than the blade. 



Panicle very narrow, erect, green, 5-10 cm. long ; rhachis slender, 

 smooth, striate ; branches 3-5 verticillate, short, slender, erect, delicately 

 scabrid, naked below, bearing 3-5 pedicellate spikelets. 



Spikelets green, ovate, 6 mm. long, 2-4-flowered. 



Empty glumes unequal, about \ as long as the spikelet, lanceolate, 

 acute, glabrous, the lower 1- the upper faintly 3-nerved ; flowering-glumes 

 lanceolate, acute, keeled, green with white scarious edges, smooth, glabrous, 

 3-nerved (the median nerve slightly excurrent, the lateral vanishing below 

 the top), with a few rather long hairs on the callus and at the back ; palea 

 green, nearly as long as the flowering-glume, 2-nerved, nerves delicately 

 ciliate. 



Stamens slender, about \ as long as the palea. 



Hah. — Herekopere Island, o£E Stewart Island. 



Mr. Gruthrie-Smith, of Tutira, kindly sent me some live tufts of this 

 grass in the early summer of last year. The plants have grown well in 

 my garden, and have lately come into flower. It is from these cultivated 

 specimens that the above description has been drawn up. The species is 

 allied to Poa ramosissima Hook. f. both in the habit of growth and in the 

 form of the panicle. It appears to have economic possibilities of some 

 value, but at present these cannot be accurately estimated. 



