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Manual of the New Zealand Flora.

XCII. GramineÆ

page 1155

XCII. GramineÆ.

847 Isachne australis. — Opunake (Taranaki), Kirk! The most southern locality known to me.
858 Stipa setacea.—I have received numerous specimens of this from various localities on the east coast of the South Island, from Marlborough to Otago. It is evidently spreading rapidly, and no doubt can be entertained of its exotic origin.
874 Dichelachne sciurea.—Vicinity of Westport, Townson!
888 Danthonia oreophila.—Source of Nigger Creek, Canterbury Alps, Dr. Cockayne.
894 Arundo conspicua.—Add to the synonyms Agrostis Lessoniana, Steud. Nom. ii. 41, and A. procera, A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zél. 125.
902 Poa litorosa.—In a communication made to the New Zealand Institute in October, 1905, but not yet printed, Mr. Petrie has pointed out that the Festuca scoparia of Hooker's Handbook, which answers to the Poa litorosa of this work, is really composed of two species—one the original Festuca scoparia of the "Flora Antarctica," which is apparently confined to the outlying islands to the south of New Zealand; the other a very different plant, occurring on the rocky coasts of southern Otago and Stewart Island, as well as on the Auckland Islands, and for which he proposes the name Poa Astoni. The two plants may be thus characterized:—

3. P. Astoni, Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxxviii. (1906) ined.—Culms densely tufted, 12–15 in. high. Leaves equalling or exceeding the culms, very narrow, linear-filiform, gradually narrowed into an almost pungent point, closely involute, striate, glabrous; sheaths long, compressed, striate; ligules broadly triangular, acute. Panicle 2–2½ in. long, ovate or ovate-oblong, rather dense; branches short, simple or divided. Spikelets compressed, ovate-oblong, ¼ in. long, 5–6-flowered. Two outer glumes about half as long as the spikelet, subequal, broadly lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous, 3-nerved. Flowering-glumes ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, keeled, strongly 5-nerved, usually with a tuft of crisped hairs on the callus and lower part of the keel, but frequently without. Palea linear-oblong, bidentate, ciliate-scabrid on the keels.—Festuca scoparia. Hook. f. Hanclb. N.Z. Fl. 341 (in part, but not of Fl. Antarct. i. 98); Buch. N.Z. Grasses, t. 55A.

Sooth Island: Rocky cliffs on the coast-line of Otago and Stewart Island, not uncommon. Auckland Islands: T. Kirk!

page 1156
907 12 bis. P. litorosa, Cheesem.—A tall densely tufted species, often forming tussocks 2–3 ft. high. Culms numerous, branched at the base, leafy, quite glabrous, 2–3-noded. Leaves much longer than the culms, narrow linear-filiform, gradually narrowed upwards, strongly involute for their whole length, coriaceous, glabrous, striate; sheaths very long, smooth, shining; ligules narrow, horizontal, inconspicuous. Panicle 3–5 in. long, suberect or slightly inclined, sparingly branched, few-flowered; rhachis slender, scabrid; branches scaberulous, 8–5-spiculate. Spikelets much compressed, ovate-oblong, about ⅓ in. long, 4–5-flowered. Two outer glumes subequal, lanceolate, acute, 3-nerved, scabrid on the back and nerves. Flowering glumes oblong-lanceolate, obtuse or subacute, prominently 5-nerved; callus and base with a tuft of long crisped hairs, the whole surface densely minutely scaberulous. Palea a quarter shorter than the glume, bidentate, ciliate-scabrid on the keels.— Festuca scoparia, Hook. f. Fl. An Antarct. i. 98.
Auckland and Campbell Islands: Abundant in rocky places near the sea, Hooker, Kirk!
Easily distinguished from P. Astoni by the larger size and stouter habit, larger spikelets with fewer flowers, and obtuse or subacute flowering glumes.
905 P. pusilla.—Bluff Hill and Dog Island, Foveaux Strait, Dr. Cockayne.
906 P. dipsacea.—Mr. Townson has collected this in several localities in the south-west of the Nelson Provincial District.
907 12 ter. P. Hamiltoni, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895)353.—"Culms leafy to the base of the panicle, erect, 6–9 in. high. Leaves flat, spreading, exceeding the panicle; ligule ovate, laciniate, the laciniæ produced into long hair-like points. Panicle 3–4 in. long, strict, narrow, lower branches 1–2 in. long. Spikelets pedicellate, 2–3-flowered; outer glumes unequal, the outermost less than half the length of the inner. Flowers never webbed at the base. Flowering glume narrow-lanceolate, 5-nerved; lodicules ovate, acute. Grain large, cylindrical."
Macquarie Island: A. Hamilton. "A distinct species allied to P. foliosa, Hook, f., and P. anceps, Forst., but distinguished from both by the leaves exceeding the culms, the laciniate ligule, the smaller spikelets, and unequal flowerinq-glumes; also from P. foliosa by the longer pedicels, very short styles, and cylindrical grain."
The above species was accidentally omitted in the body of this work. I have seen no specimens, and Kirk's description is not sufficiently precise to allow its systematic position to be made out with certainty.