Flora of New Zealand Series

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

Holotype: WELT 68267a! D. P[etrie] source of Broken River, 3500-4000 ft.

=P. cheesemanii Hack., T.N.Z.I. 35: 383 (1903)

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

Holotype: W 11052! T. F. C[heeseman] Lake Tennyson, Nelson Mts, 3000 ft. [Jan. 1893] (No 1416 to Hackel).

=P. wallii Petrie, T.N.Z.I. 54: 571 (1923); 

Lectotype: WELT 66662a! A. Wall Craigieburn Mts, Canterbury Alps, c. 6000 ft, mid. Feb., 1921 (designated by Edgar 1986 op. cit. p. 460).

Erect, open, rather stiff, shortly rhizomatous perennial tufts, to c. 30 cm, with leaves blue-green abaxially and bright green adaxially; branching extravaginal; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath light-coloured, green to creamy brown or purplish, later grey, membranous, shining, glabrous, obviously ribbed. Ligule c. 0.5-1 mm, apically glabrous, truncate to obtuse, abaxially smooth or with a few minute prickle-teeth. Leaf-blade (1.5)-5-20-(25) cm × 1.5-3-(4) mm, flat or folded, subcoriaceous, abaxially smooth, adaxially usually minutely scabrid on midrib and lateral ribs near blunt, curved tip; margins smooth or scabrid, sometimes with short hairs just above ligule. Culm (4.5)-10-20-(35) cm, erect, often only slightly overtopping leaves but sometimes much longer, internodes glabrous. Panicle (2.5)-4-6-(9.5) cm, open, with 1-(3) large spikelets borne at tips of slender smooth branches; pedicels usually smooth, rarely slightly scabrid. Spikelets 5-8.5 mm, (3)-4-5-(7)-flowered, light green to usually purplish. Glumes rather unequal, elliptic, subacute to subobtuse, submembranous, smooth except occasionally for some minute prickle-teeth on midnerve; lower 2.5-5 mm, (1)-3-nerved, upper 3.5-5-(6) mm, 3-(5)-nerved. Lemma 3.5-5.5 mm, 5-(7)-nerved, elliptic-oblong, subobtuse, long-ciliate on midnerve in lower ½ and on lateral nerves near base, scabrid on midnerve above hairs and usually on lateral nerves, internerves usually glabrous. Palea 3-4.5 mm, keels ciliate-scabrid, interkeel with sparse minute hairs, or glabrous. Callus with web of soft tangled hairs. Rachilla c. 0.5 mm, very minutely papillose. Lodicules 0.5-0.7 mm. Anthers 1.6-2.7 mm. Caryopsis c. 2 × 0.7 mm. 2 n = 28.

S.: Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury. Subalpine to alpine, along streams or seepages in tussock grassland or herbfield, sometimes on rock.

Endemic.

Poa dipsacea is very variable in size and different names have been applied to small (P. wallii), medium (P. dipsacea), and large (P. cheesemanii) plants.

Poa dipsacea may be confused with P. pratensis but differs in the larger spikelets with all floral parts larger, and the submembranous, subacute to subobtuse glumes.