Species

Poa sudicola

Etymology

Poa: meadow grass

Common Name(s)

None known

Current Conservation Status

2012 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon

Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2012 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS). This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2009 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Authors: Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, Paul D. Champion, Shannel P. Courtney, Peter B. Heenan, John W. Barkla, Ewen K. Cameron, David A. Norton and Rodney A. Hitchmough. File size: 792KB

Previous Conservation Status

2009 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Threatened - Nationally Critical

Qualifiers

2012 - RR
2009 - DP, ST

Authority

Poa sudicola Edgar

Family

Poaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

POASUD

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Grasses

Synonyms

None

Distribution

Endemic. South Island, North West Nelson, Kahurangi National Park, Matiri Range. Known from only two sites.

Habitat

Subalpine grass inhabiting limestone scree and steep calcaerous mudstone slopes.

Features

Long-rhizomatous, greyish-green, tufted grass. Leaf blades persistent. Leaf sheath light greenish-brown, flushed purple, keeled with few prominent ribs. Ligule 0.5-1(-1.5) mm, hairless, entire, truncate, inner surface minutely puberulent-scabrid. Leaf-blade (20-)50-90(-120) mm, inrolled, 1 mm diam., wiry, virtually hairless. Culm 100-250 mm, slender, internodes hairless. Inflorescence a sparingly branched panicle 20-450-600 mm,. Spikelets 6-9 mm, 3-4-flowered, greenish brown. Glumes subequal, acute to subobtuse; lower (3-)3.5-4 mm, 1-3-nerved, narrow elliptic, upper (3.5-)4-4.5 mm, 3-5-nerved, broadly ovate. Lemma 4.5-5(-6) mm, 5-7(-9)-nerved, elliptic-lanceolate, acute membranous, margins enitre. Palea 3.4(-5) mm, << lemma. Callus with tufts of long hairs below lemma nerves. Male flowers with anthers 2.9-3.3 mm, and rudimentary gynoeicum, female flowers with pollen sterile anthers, 0.6-1(-1.2) mm, stigma styles purple 0.75-2.2 mm. Seeds as yet unknown.

Similar Taxa

Possibly closest to P. novae-zelandiae and P. subvestita but distinguished from both by the very long creeping rhizomes.

Flowering

Unknown

Flower Colours

Violet / Purple

Fruiting

Unknown

Propagation Technique

Can be grown from division of whole plants, and stem cuttings. Seed has never been seen in the wild so its germination requirements remain uncertain. Has proved difficult to maintain in cultivation.

Threats

Known from just two small areas, where it is not very common. The species is dioecious and both male and female plants are known but seed has never been seen. The exact sex-ratio of the wild populations has not been determined, and as the species is rhizomatous the possibility that much of the observed plants are clones needs to be considered.

Chromosome No.

2n = 28

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Can be purchased from Oratia Native Plant Nurseries ([email protected])

Phenology and Reproductive Biology

The seed of this dioecious species has yet to be described.

Attribution

Fact Sheet prepared for the NZPCN by P.J. de Lange 23 January 2004. Description adapted from Edgar (1986).

References and further reading

Edgar, E. 1986: Poa L. in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 24: 425-503

This page last updated on 17 Apr 2014