Species

Poa antipoda

Etymology

Poa: meadow grass
antipoda: Named after the Antipodes i.e. Australia or New Zealand which are on the opposite side of the world from Europe

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 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2012 - RR, Sp

Authority

Poa antipoda Petrie

Family

Poaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

NVS Species Code

POAANT

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. New Zealand: Stewart (Herekopere Island); Antipodes, Auckland, and Campbell Islands

Habitat

Coastal on cliffs and rock outcrops; inland on damp banks, and in herbfield

Features

Soft, ± drooping, light green stoloniferous perennial tufts, c.20-600 mm rooting at nodes; branching extravaginal; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath light green to light brown, submembranous, distinctly ribbed, glabrous. Ligule 1.0-4.5 mm, entire, apically glabrous, gradually narrowed and subacute, abaxially slightly scabrid. Leaf-blade 75.0-250.0 × 2-4.5 mm, flat, soft, smooth almost throughout but minutely scabrid abaxially near straight-sided narrow acute tip and adaxially just above ligule. Culm 80-500 mm, internodes glabrous. Panicle 50-15- mm, ± lax and usually open with spreading branches; rachis usually ± smooth, branches ± smooth to sparsely scabrid. Spikelets 4-6 mm, 2-4-flowered, brownish green. Glumes ± unequal, narrow-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, glabrous, apart from a few prickle-teeth on midrib in upper ½; lower 1.5-3.0 mm, 1-nerved, upper 2.0-3.5 mm, 3-nerved. Lemma 2.5-5.0 mm, 3-5-nerved, ± elliptic, acute, with long hairs on lower ½ of midnerve and at base of lateral nerves and fine prickle-teeth on midnerve above, internerves glabrous or sometimes slightly scabrid near tip. Palea 2-4 mm, keels shortly ciliate-scabrid, interkeel glabrous. Callus with narrow tuft of long fine hairs. Rachilla 0.5 mm, glabrous; prolongation twice as long. Lodicules 0.4-0.5 mm. Anthers 0.5-1 mm. Seeds not seen

Flowering

October - November

Fruiting

Seed not yet seen

Propagation Technique

Difficult in warmer climates. Rather slow growing.

Threats

Not Threatened - listed because it is a narrow range endemic which is naturally uncommon throughout its known range.

Chromosome No.

2n = 28

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

Where To Buy

Not Commercially Available

 

Attribution

Description modified from Edgar and Connor (2000).

References and further reading

Edgar, E.; Connor, H.E. 2000: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. V. Grasses. Christchurch, Manaaki Whenua Press. 650 pp.

This page last updated on 7 Jan 2014