Order GRAMINE^K. 

 Genus, Poa ; Sub-Order, Festucacea. 



13. POA KIRKII, n.s. 



KIRK'S POA. 

 (Plate LL, B.) 

 (?) POA PURPUREA, Kirk, (undescribed) Trans. N.Z. Inst, IX., 500. 



A TUFTED, brownish-green, alpine grass, found at 3 4000 feet altitude. 

 Flowers January March. Perennial. Culms 12 14 inches high, 

 smooth, grooved. Leaves shorter than the culms, erect, flat ; sheaths 

 grooved ; ligule long, acute. Panicle erect, 3 4 inches long, ovate, 

 branches whorled, capillary, with numerous small spikelets. Spikelets 

 i inch long, 3 4 flowered. Empty glumes 3-nerved. Flowering 

 glumes very obtuse, scabridus, 5-nerved, tipped with purple, and without 

 hairs at the base. Palea 2-fid, 2-nerved. Scales oblique, acuminate. 

 Grain long, linear. DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES : NEW ZEALAND. 



This species is closely allied to Poa Mackayi and Poa breviglumis, but differs 

 much in the inflorescence from both. It is supposed to be the same grass as one 

 first discovered on the mountains of the Clarence Valley, by Mr. Kirk, but the 

 specimens from which the above description is taken were more recently collected 

 on the Mount Arthur range, by Mr. A. Mackay. The M. S. name originally suggested 

 by Mr. Kirk, "Poa purpurea," but without any description of the plant, although 

 appropriate as to colour, might produce confusion, inasmuch as several other 

 species of Poa are also purple. Mr. Kirk says of his plant, "that it is eaten alike 

 by horses, cattle, and sheep, and appears well adapted for mixed pasturage on 

 cool lands." DISTRIBUTION IN NEW ZEALAND : SOUTH ISLAND : CLARENCE 

 VALLEY, (34000 feet) Kirk ; MOUNT ARTHUR (4,200 feet) -A. Mackay. 



Reference to Plate LL, B. : 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. 



