Flora of New Zealand Series

; Holotype: CHR 275245! A. P. Druce Luna L., NW Nelson, 4500 ft, rocky ground at foot of cliff, Jan. 1974.

Erect, light purplish green perennial tufts to 50 cm, culms overtopping leaves; branching extravaginal; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath purplish, to later greyish, subcoriaceous, ribs inconspicuous, abaxially with minute prickle-teeth or hairs especially on midrib near ligule. Ligule c. 1.5-3 mm, apically glabrous, rounded, sometimes erose, abaxially with minute prickle-teeth or hairs. Leaf-blade 6-20 cm × (2)-3-6 mm, folded or flat, subcoriaceous, abaxially ± minutely scabrid on ribs, adaxially scabrid in lower ½ and on ribs above; margins scabrid, with some stiff short hairs at collar, tip ± curved, acuminate to often apiculate. Culm 10-40 cm, erect, internodes scabrid below panicle. Panicle 8-15 cm, lax, with slender spreading scabrid branches. Spikelets 6-8 mm, (2)-3-4-(5)-flowered, green or purplish. Glumes ± equal, 3-nerved, ovate-elliptic, nerves and internerves near tip ± scabrid; lower 3.5-5.5 mm, subacute, upper 4-5.5-(6) mm, subobtuse; margins scabrid. Lemma 4.5-6 mm, 5-nerved, oblong, obtuse, pubescent-scabrid on nerves, margins, and often on internerves. Palea 3.5-4.5 mm, keels ciliate-scabrid, interkeel scabrid. Callus with tuft of a few long crinkled hairs. Rachilla c. 1 mm, with a few long hairs; prolongation twice as long. Lodicules 0.5-0.6 mm. Anthers 1-1.5 mm. Caryopsis c. 1-2 × 0.5 mm.

S.: Nelson and in Lewis Pass area, and north Westland. Subalpine to alpine in grassland, often on rock.

Endemic.

Both Poa celsa and P. intrusa are closely related to P. kirkii but plants are larger, with longer anthers. Poa celsa particularly differs from other spp. in the P. kirkii group in its pubescent-scabrid leaf-sheaths.