Flora of New Zealand Series

≡P. novae-zelandiae var. subvestita Hack., T.N.Z.I. 35: 382 (1903); 

Lectotype: W 9510! L. Cockayne Arthurs Pass, Canterbury Alps [1898] (No 1346 to Hackel); ♀ (designated by Edgar 1986 op. cit. p. 436).

Often robust, bright green perennial tufts to 40 cm, with erect, wide, rather stiff leaves overtopped by culms; branching extravaginal; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath green to light brown, membranous, distinctly ribbed, glabrous; midrib thickened above. Ligule 1-2.5-(6.5) mm, apically glabrous, entire, sometimes ± erose, shortly tapered, often narrowed to a long point, abaxially short-pubescent or rarely glabrous. Leaf-blade 5-20 cm × 2-4-(6.5) mm, flat, abaxially smooth, adaxially with minute, ± appressed prickle-teeth; margins thickened, smooth, rarely with a few prickle-teeth near base, abruptly narrowed and curved to ± thickened, ovate to acute tip. Culm 10-20-(40) cm, internodes glabrous. Panicle (3)-6-10-(15) cm, lax and often drooping above or sometimes dense; branches short, fine, ± crowded, smooth, very rarely sparsely prickle-toothed, tipped by large spikelets. Spikelets (6)-8-10 mm, 4-6-flowered, light green to purple. Glumes subequal, smooth throughout or midnerve sparsely scabrid above; lower (2.5)-3-4.5 mm, 1-nerved, narrow-lanceolate, usually acuminate, upper 3-5.5 mm, 3-nerved, elliptic-lanceolate, acute or subobtuse. Lemma (3.5)-4.5-6 mm, 3-nerved, elliptic-lanceolate, acute to obtuse, glabrous except for soft tangled hairs on lower ½ of nerves; margins membranous wide, occasionally with a few sparse prickle-teeth. Palea (3)-3.5-4-(4.5) mm, keels sparsely ciliate in upper ½, interkeel and flanks glabrous. Callus with thick tufts of long hairs below lemma nerves. Rachilla c. 1 mm, glabrous, or with occasional hairs. Lodicules 0.5-1 mm. Dioecious: ♂ with anthers (1.5)-2-3 mm, gynoecium c. 0.2 mm; ♀ with ovary c. 1 mm, stigma-styles c. 1.5 mm, pollen-sterile anthers 0.3-0.7 mm, caryopsis 0.5-0.8 × 0.2-0.3 mm. 2 n = 28.

S.: along and west of Main Divide and in Fiordland, occasionally to the east. Montane to alpine on shaded rocks and cliffs, particularly on limestone and marble; often covered by spray from waterfalls.

Endemic.

Poa subvestita can usually be distinguished from P. novae-zelandiae without dissecting the florets to determine whether plants are dioecious (P. subvestita) or gynomonoecious (P. novae-zelandiae). Plants are usually robust, often wider-leaved than in P. novae-zelandiae and the lemmas are obtuse-tipped rather than long drawn out to an acuminate point as in many plants of P. novae-zelandiae.