Order GRAMINE^. 

 Genus, Poa ; Sub- Order, Festucacece. 



9 POA PYGM,EA, n.s. 



DWARF POA. 

 (Plate Z., A,) 



A SMALL patch grass, rooting from the prostrate branches, found at 

 4 6000 feet altitude. Flowers January February. Perennial. Culms 

 \ inch long, terminating branches i inch long, the latter densely 

 clothed with short leaves. Leaves \ inch long, involute, rigid, with 

 acicular tips ; ligule short, truncate. Panicle racemose, of i 3 spikelets. 

 Spikelets large, short, broad, finely scabridus, 23 flowered. Empty 

 glumes 3-nerved. Flowering glume 5-nerved and shortly villous at base. 

 Palea 2-fid, 2-nerved. Scales oblique, acute. Anthers long. DISTRI- 

 BUTION OF SPECIES : NEW ZEALAND. 



This curious little patch grass, according to Mr. Petrie who first discovered it, 

 is abundant on Mount Pisa, in the Lake district, Otago. at an altitude of 4 6000 

 feet, it is closely allied in the structure of its inflorescence, to varieties of Poa 

 anceps ; but the absence of flocculent silky hair at the base of the flowering glume, 

 disunites it from this group, and the dense leafy habit of the branches, is entirely 

 different from every known New Zealand Poa. From the short rigid growth of 

 this grass, it can only be of value as food for sheep ; and from the close structure 

 of its branches, which peculiarly adapts it to resist the destructive effects both of 

 frost and tire, it may prove very permanent in mountain pasturage. DISTRIBU- 

 TION IN NEW ZEALAND : SOUTH ISLAND : MOUNT PISA, (46000 feet 

 altitude) W. Petrie. 



Reference to Plate L,, 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. 



