Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Trisetum cheesemanii Hack., T.N.Z.I. 35: 281 (1903); 

Holotype: W 31707! T. F. C[heeseman] Hooker Glacier, Mount Cook District, alt. 4000 ft (No 1221 to Hackel).

=Koeleria novozelandica var. pubiculmis Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 65: 117 (1907); 

Holotype: W 22048! L. Cockayne Otira Gorge, Westland (No 1333 to Hackel).

Densely caespitose, of low to medium stature (7)-9-17-(43) cm; with stiff, semi-pungent, pale greyish green leaves, their sheaths often imbricate and of ± equal length, usually overtopped by densely villous culms bearing dense cylindrical panicles; branching intravaginal, sometimes extravaginal at base. Leaf-sheath abaxially glabrous, scabrid, pubescent or rarely ± villous. Ligule 0.3-0.8-(1.6) mm, rim-like or truncate, sometimes erose, ciliate, abaxially glabrous or hairy. Leaf-blade 1.2-9-(21) cm × (0.5)-0.6-3.2-(5.5) mm, usually folded, involute, or convolute, or sometimes flat, linear-lanceolate or narrower, abaxially minutely scabrid to densely pubescent or sometimes villous, midrib often prominent below, adaxially scabrid or pubescent on ribs; margin with minute prickle-teeth or longer hairs, apex hooded, acute to acuminate. Culm (1)-4-27-(35) cm, pale green to purple, internodes sparsely to densely pubescent to villous, very rarely glabrous. Panicle densely contracted, usually cylindrical (to spike-like) occasionally interrupted especially at base, (1.3)-2.6-5.0-(7.3) × (0.3)-0.8-1.5-(2.2) cm; branches erect, pubescent, appressed to rachis. Spikelets (3.8)-4.3-5.2-(6.9) mm, 2-3-flowered, pale green, purplish or golden. Glumes subequal, sometimes scabrid above and on keel; lower 3.5-3.8-(4.8) mm, 1-(3)-nerved, oblong, with prickle-teeth on upper ½ to ⅔ of keel, upper (3.2)-4.0-4.5-(6.1) mm, 3-nerved, ovate, with prickle-teeth on upper ⅔ of keel. Lemma 3.5-6.0 mm, 3-5-nerved, oblong, narrow obovate, or lanceolate, acute, acuminate, or obtuse, entire to mucronate or shortly awned and sometimes minutely bidentate; awn apical or subapical, to 1.5-(3.2) mm. Palea 3.0-5.2 mm. Callus hairs 0.3-0.6 mm. Rachilla 0.8-1.0-(1.4) mm with hairs to 0.5 mm; prolongation c. 1.5 mm with hairs to 0.3 mm. Lodicules (0.7)-0.8-1.2 mm, ± bifid, erose. Anthers 0.6-1.1 mm. Gynoecium: ovary c. 0.7 mm; stigma-styles c. 1 mm. Caryopsis 2-2.5 × 0.6-0.7 mm.

N.: Mt Hikurangi, Kaweka Range, north-east Ruahine Mts; S.: mountains throughout. Rocky outcrops, scree, cliffs in high mountains; usually above 1000 m to 2800 m.

Endemic.

Occasional rhizomatous forms have been collected, and also specimens with culm internodes which are largely glabrous or are either glabrous or sparsely to densely pubescent (Edgar and Gibb 1999 op. cit. p. 55).

Koeleria cheesemanii is often confused with Trisetum spicatum, a similarly compact, tufted grass with densely villous culms and dense, ± oblong panicles found at high altitudes on rocky exposed ground in the same localities as K. cheesemanii. Usually the long, 2-6 mm, recurved, dorsal awns of T. spicatum separate this species from plants of K. cheesemanii in which the lemma is entire, to shortly apically awned.