Order GRAMINE^E. 



Genus, Poa ; Sub-Order; Festucacea. 



14. POA LINDSAY!. 



BEOWN FLOWERED POA. 



(Plate LIL) 



POA LINDSAYI, Hook. fil. Handb. Fl. N.Z. I., 340. 



A SMALL tufted sub-alpine grass, found from 500 4000 feet altitude. 

 Flowers December February. Perennial. Culms 3 12 inches high, 

 erect, slender. Leaves \ 4 inches long, flaccid, very narrow, flat, 

 subulate, sheathing leaves very short ; ligule short, obtuse, or lacerate. 

 Panicle ovate, open, T 7 inches long, branches capillary, 2 or 3 nate, 

 distant, often flexuose, lower J ij inches long. Spikelets few, sub- 

 terminal on the branches, 4 8 flowered, brownish-green. Empty glumes 

 3-nerved. Powering glume 5-nerved, inner pair faint, scabridous, border 

 membranous, sprinkled with short hairs near the base. Palea bifid, 2- 

 nerved. Scale oblique, acute. Anthers short. Grain linear. DISTRI- 

 BUTION OF SPECIES : NEW ZEALAND. 



This beautiful little grass is abundant on the sub-alpine pasture grounds of 

 the South Island, where from its close tufted habit, and large capacity of seeding, 

 it proves very permanent. This forms one of many valuable sheep grasses, which 

 from their small size, are little noticed except when in flower, yet but for their 

 presence, the feeding capacity of many districts would be very poor. The perma- 

 nence of some of the smaller Poas, among which the present must be included, is 

 most markedly shewn by their increase on road cuttings, near fences, or wherever 

 the ground is disturbed. This would indicate, that a very small amount of culti- 

 vation would increase them abundantly. DISTRIBUTION IN NEW ZEALAND : 

 SOUTH ISLAND : SADDLE HILL, OTAGO Lindsay ; LAKE DISTRICT 

 Hector and Buchanan, Petrie ; ACHERON VALLEY, CANTERBURY, (4000 

 feet) Travers ; KOWAI VALLEY, (2-3000 feet) Haast. 



II. -terence to Plate LI I : Fig 1. Plant. 2. Spikelet. 3. Floret. 4, 4'. Ner- 

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

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



