Puccinellia macquariensis (Cheeseman) Allan & Jansen
≡Triodia macquariensis Cheeseman, Aust. Antarct. Exped. 1911-14, Sci. Rep. Ser. C, 7 (3): 34 (1919);
Lectotype: AK 1732! H. Hamilton Macquarie Island, coastal form only found near sea [designated by Edgar, E. in George, A. S. et al. (Eds) Fl. Australia 50: 572 (1993)].
Perennial tufts, 4-25 cm, with culms ± hidden by leaf-sheaths and panicles overtopped by the soft, dull green leaves; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath glabrous, hyaline, whitish green, much wider than leaf-blade. Ligule 0.7-1.5 mm, erose. Leaf-blade 2-8 cm × c. 1 mm, flat or folded, sometimes with inrolled margins, glabrous throughout, tip obtuse. Culm erect, or geniculate at base, internodes glabrous. Panicle 1.5-6 × 0.5-1 cm, lanceolate; branches few, short, erect, sharply angled, smooth to sparsely scabrid. Spikelets 4-6.5-(8) mm, 3-5-flowered, pale green, sometimes purplish. Glumes ± unequal, elliptic-ovate to elliptic-oblong, obtuse; lower 1.6-2.6 mm, 1-3-nerved, upper 2-3.5 mm, 3-(5)-nerved. Lemma 3-4 mm, 5-nerved, elliptic-ovate to elliptic-oblong, glabrous or with a few hairs at base and on nerves near base, midnerve almost reaching obtuse apex. Palea ˜ lemma, keels conspicuously long-ciliate at midway with shorter prickle-teeth in upper ¼, and glabrous in lower ¼, apex truncate to bifid, keels not excurrent. Rachilla 0.7-1.2 mm. Anthers 0.4-0.9 mm. Caryopsis 1.5-1.7 × 0.6-0.8 mm.
M. Common in dense patches on coastal rock stacks and cliffs.
Endemic.
Meurk, C. D. N.Z. J. Bot. 13: 721-742 (1975) recorded P. macquariensis from near Courrejolles Point, Campbell Id D. V. Merton 27 Feb 1971 (CHR 202761, CANU 15446, OTA 30790). A flowering specimen D. R. Given 9373 5 Feb 1976 (CHR 284730) confirms P. walkeri subsp. chathamica rather than P. macquariensis.
