Flora of New Zealand Series

≡P. kirkii var. incrassata (Petrie) Zotov, T.R.S.N.Z. 73: 236 (1943); 

Holotype: WELT 66452! F. R. Chapman plant taken from the Auckland Islands (Jan. 1890) and grown in Mr F. R. Chapman's garden at Dunedin, Jan. 1891.

=P. exigua Hook.f. Handbk N.Z. Fl. 338  (1864) non Dumort. (1823); 

Holotype: K! Hector and Buchanan no. 15 Otago, lake district, alpine.

Small perennial tufts, 5-15 cm, narrow, glaucous; branching extravaginal at plant base, intravaginal above; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath shining, greenish or reddish purple, later light grey-brown, membranous, glabrous, ribs conspicuous. Ligule 0.2-0.7 mm, apically glabrous, entire, rounded or sometimes centrally narrowed to a point, abaxially minutely papillose. Leaf-blade 1-6-(9) cm × 0.6-2 mm, usually folded, abaxially smooth, but scabrid on midrib near curved tip, adaxially glabrous, but shortly hairy above ligule and occasionally with a few prickle-teeth on midrib, lateral ribs indistinct; margins inrolled, shortly prickle-toothed. Culm 2-9-(16) cm, internodes often closely short-scabrid below panicle or smooth. Panicle 0.5-2.5-(3) cm, compact, spike-like or racemose, very rarely more open with few, very short branches; rachis and branches stiff, angular, ± densely scabrid, spikelets few on scabrid pedicels. Spikelets 2.5-3.5 mm, 2-3-(4)-flowered, light green tinged purple. Glumes subequal, usually 1.5-2.5 mm, glabrous, with a few prickle-teeth on nerves in upper ½; lower occasionally smaller, 1-1.5 mm, 1-(3)-nerved, narrow- to ovate-elliptic, subobtuse to obtuse, upper 3-nerved, ovate, obtuse. Lemma c. 2-2.5 mm, 5-(7)-nerved, ovate, strongly folded about midnerve, obtuse, sometimes almost hooded, minutely papillose or occasionally minutely scabrid near distinct membranous margin, midnerve scabrid towards tip. Palea 1.5-2.3 mm, keels scabrid on upper ½, interkeel and flanks glabrous. Callus glabrous. Rachilla c. 0.5 mm, glabrous; prolongation usually twice as long. Lodicules 0.4-0.5 mm. Anthers 0.2-0.5 mm. Gynoecium: ovary 0.4-0.5 mm; stigma-styles 0.75-1.1 mm. Caryopsis 1-1.3 × c. 0.5 mm.

S.: western and Central Otago, north-eastern Southland; St.; A. Subalpine and alpine in damp ground, and among windswept short tussock grassland.

Endemic.

No plants resembling P. incrassata have been collected in recent subantarctic expeditions, but it may easily be overlooked.