Order GRAMINE^E. 

 Genus, Poa ; Sub- Order, Fcstitcacecz. 



7. POA ACICULARIFOLIA, n.s. 



NEEDLE LEAVED POA, 

 (Plate XLIX. A.) 



A SMALL tufted, alpine grass, with wiry creeping roots at 5000 feet alti- 

 tude. Powers January March. Perennial. Culms 3 6 inches high, 

 very slender, capillary. Leaves \ \ inch long, rigid, with acicular tips, 

 sheaths short ; ligule short, sheathing, membranous. Panicle J f inch 

 long, triangular, of 3 4 capillary spreading branches, each bearing i 

 broad, flat, spikelet. Spikelets \ inch long, 2-flowered. Empty glumes 

 ovate-acuminate, obtuse, 3-nerved. Flowering glume ovate-oblong, obtuse, 

 5-nerved, scabridus, and villous on the back. Palea 2-fid, 2-nerved. 

 Scales oblique, acute. Anthers long. DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES: NEW 

 ZEALAND. 



This peculiar little plant has previously been considered as only a variety of 

 POOL Colensoi, to which it bears a general resemblance, but differing in the short, 

 rigid, acicular leaves, fewer flowered spikelets, and shorter anthers, and present- 

 ing a remarkably alpine character ; it may be considered as a rare plant, although 

 pretty widely distributed, and from its short rigid foliage, must rank very low as 

 a pasture plant, it may therefore be relegated to the herbarium, as an interesting 

 botanical curiosity. DISTRIBUTION IN NEW ZEALAND : NORTH ISLAND : 

 TARARUA MOUNTAINS, (5000 feet) J. Mitchell, H. H. Travers. SOUTH 

 ISLAND : NELSON MOUNTAINS, (5000 feet) H. H. Travers ; MOUNT 

 ARTHUR, (4200 feet), and MOUNT COOK, (6000 feet) A. Mackay ; CAN- 

 TERBURY MOUNTAINS Kirk ; EN YS Armstrong. 



Reference to Plate XLIX., A. : Fig, 1. Plant. 2. Spikelet. 3. Floret. 4, 4\ 

 Nervation of empty glumes. 5. Nervation of flowering glume. 6. Nervation of 

 Palea. 7. Scale. 8, 8\ Grain, front and side views. 



