Koeleria novozelandica Domin
≡K. novozelandica Domin var. novozelandica (autonym Domin 1907 op. cit. p. 117)
≡K. novozelandica var. typica Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 65: 116 (1907) nom. invalid.;
Holotype: Z! L. C[ockayne] stony ground, Waterfall Creek, [Craigieburn Range], Southern Alps, 2500 ft, 18.I.[18]96.
=K. novozelandica var. parvula Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 65: 117 (1907);
Holotype: W 22046! L. Cockayne Broken River, Canterbury Alps (No 1334 to Hackel).
=K. superba Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 65: 118 (1907);
Holotype: W 22047! T. F. C[heeseman] Broken River, Canterbury Alps, 2500 ft (No 1331 to Hackel).
=K. gintlii Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 65: 126 (1907);
Holotype: W 22045! T. F. C[heeseman] Hooker Valley, Mount Cook District, 2500 ft (No 1329 to Hackel).
Extremely variable, slender, occasionally lush, tufted or very shortly rhizomatous perennial, of low to medium stature, 4-46-(82) cm, with leaves varying from greyish green to green and from tightly inrolled to flat, with erect culms and usually spike-like panicles, sometimes greatly overtopping leaves; branching extravaginal. Leaf-sheath abaxially glabrous, scabrid, pubescent or villous. Ligule membranous, truncate, often erose and/or somewhat ciliate, (0.2)-0.3-1.3 mm. Collar often thickened and paler near margins, often with long hairs on upper margins. Leaf-blade flat, folded or involute, linear to ± filiform, 3-15-(30) cm × 1-1.5 mm diam., or up to 2-(4) mm wide, abaxially glabrous, scabrid, pubescent or villous, adaxially ribbed, scabrid to densely villous, especially on ribs; margins ± scabrid, often with long hairs below, apex acute, hooded. Culm to 41-(66) cm, internodes entirely glabrous or frequently minutely pubescent below panicle, often scabrid to villous above and/or below nodes, very occasionally pubescent throughout. Panicle (2.0)-3.0-16 × 0.5-1.2 cm, spike-like or occasionally lanceolate, sometimes interrupted, with appressed-ascending branches; branches and pedicels glabrous, scabrid or pubescent to villous; bract subtending panicle glabrous, or often tipped by long hairs, or absent. Spikelets (3.8)-4.5-5.8-(7) mm, 2-3-(5)-flowered, light green, often purplish to brownish. Glumes subequal, membranous with wide hyaline margins above, oblong-lanceolate to elliptic; lower 3.0-4.8 mm, 1-3-nerved, upper 3.2-5.2 mm, 3-4-nerved. Lemma (3.0)-3.8-4.7-(5.5) mm, 3-5-nerved, oblong, narrow obovate, or lanceolate, acute, acuminate or occasionally obtuse, entire, mucronate or shortly awned (sometimes within one panicle), apex sometimes minutely bidentate; awn apical or subapical, to 1.5-(3.2) mm. Palea 3.5-4.3 mm, recurved from base, keel prickle-toothed above. Callus hairs (0.1)-0.2-0.5-(0.7) mm. Rachilla 0.6-1.5-(1.9) mm, hairs 0.2-1.4 mm; prolongation c. 1 mm, hairs short (0.3 mm). Lodicules 0.7-1.1 mm. Anthers 0.8-2.5 mm. Gynoecium: ovary 0.5-0.8 mm; stigma-styles 1-1.4 mm. Caryopsis c. 2 × 0.4 mm.
N.: Kaimanawa Mts; S.: throughout although rare in Westland and Fiordland. Rock outcrops, tussock grassland, on wide range of rock substrates from limestone to ultramafic; (c. 100)-500-2000 m.
Endemic.
Koeleria novozelandica is extremely variable. No clear morphological, ecological or geographical distinctions were found between the wide-leaved tall, or involute-leaved small forms, nor between plants with glabrous culms and those with pubescent culms (Edgar and Gibb 1999 op. cit. p. 58). Many plants from Mt Cook and some from Broken River are large and lax with flat leaves, but this form is found occasionally elsewhere; plants from Banks Peninsula and North Otago are often smaller with involute leaves, but again these forms occurred throughout the range of the species; plants with mainly pubescent culms are occasionally found in South Id.
Connor, H. E. N.Z. J. Agric. Res. 3: 728-733 (1960) recorded that K. novozelandica (as K. kurtzii) was self-fertile with normal selfed progeny.
Koeleria novozelandica was originally referred in New Zealand [Hooker, J. D. Handbk N.Z. Fl. 334 (1864); Buchanan, J. Indig. Grasses. N.Z. t. 38 (1879)] to K. cristata of Europe and North America; Cheeseman (1906 op. cit. p. 897; 1925 op. cit. p. 184) equated New Zealand plants with K. kurtzii Hack. of Argentina.
