The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Species

Poa xenica

Etymology

Poa: meadow grass

Current Conservation Status

2018 - 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

2012 - Data Deficient
2009 - At Risk - Naturally Uncommon
2004 - Range Restricted

Qualifiers

2012 - RR

Authority

Poa xenica Edgar et Connor

Family

Poaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Native

Structural Class

Grasses

Synonyms

None (first described in 1999)

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand North-West Nelson (South Branch Riwaka River and Pikiruna Range (Gorge Creek)).

Habitat

Montane on marble cliffs in damp shaded sites and under associated sparse to moderately dense scrub on rubble fields

Features

Dioecious, glaucous to reddish-green, weakly tufted or pendulous, rather coarse, long-leaved plants, branching extravaginal, internodes elongate, rooting at nodes; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath 100 mm, keeled, ribbed, open to base, becoming dull brown and fragile, finely retrorsely hairy, margin membranous, darker brown. Ligule 1 mm, ciliate, abaxially finely hairy. Collar conspicuous, margin short hairy. Leaf-blade to 800 × 3-4 mm, coriaceous, folded below and at apex, ± flat elsewhere, abaxially glabrous with some long hairs near collar, adaxially clothed with small antrorse hairs, denser near ligule; margins abaxially sparsely prickle-toothed becoming smooth with apex prickle-toothed and sharp-pointed. Culm to 850, many noded, erect or with some geniculate nodes, nodes swollen, coloured, glabrous; internodes glabrous. Panicle to 250 mm, open, violet-suffused, subtended by bract to 2.5 mm; several to many solitary rarely binate branches at internodes, naked below with solitary spikelets, branches > internodes; rachis glabrous, branches and pedicels glabrous to sparsely shortly prickle-toothed. Spikelets 10-12 × 2 mm, gaping at anthesis, 1-6 widely separated florets. Glumes unequal, centrally green, violet elsewhere, nerves elevated; lower 2.5-3.5 mm, 1-3-nerved, upper 3.5-5.0 mm, 5-nerved, adaxially shortly hairy at apex, margins ciliate. Lemma 4.5-6.0 mm, 5-nerved, centrally green, violet elsewhere, abundantly finely pubescent throughout, keel prickle-toothed above, margins ciliate, membranous above, apex recurved, shortly lobed and mucronate, becoming erose. Palea 4.5-5.2 mm, less than or equal to lemma, apex bifid, keels minutely stiffly hairy. Callus 0.25 mm, short, blunt, glabrous or with a few prickle-teeth. Rachilla 1.5 mm, glabrous or with a few prickle-teeth at base; prolonged. Lodicules 0.5-1.0 mm, acutely lobed, tip ciliate. Anthers of male flowers: 2.75-3.75 mm, yellow or violet-suffused; of female flowers: 2.0-2.2 mm, white, pollenless. Gynoecium of male flowers: 0.8-1.0 mm; of female flowers: ovary 0.8-1.2 mm, glabrous; stigma-styles 2.0-3.5 mm. Seeds not seen.

Similar Taxa

Poa xenica is most similar to P. anceps G.Forst. both species have a similar growth habit and extravaginal branching. However, P. anceps is monoecious and P. xenica dioecious. Vegetatively it is distinguished by the glaucous to reddish-green weakly tufted to pendulous foliage, leaf blades whose upper surface is distinctly ribbed rather than inconspicuously so, and smooth rather than covered in prickle teeth. Further the spikelets of P. anceps are 3.0-7.5 mm while those of P. xenica are 10-12 mm long.

Flowering

Unknown - insufficiently studied and collected

Fruiting

Unknown - insufficiently studied and collected

Propagation Technique

Difficult. Has been grown from rooted pieces but dislikes drying out and humidity. Rarely flowers in cultivation. Best in a pot, partially submerged in water.

Threats

Not Threatened. However known from only three very small populations in what appear to be secure habitats

Chromosome No.

2n = 28

Endemic Taxon

Yes

Endemic Genus

No

Endemic Family

No

This page last updated on 7 Jan 2014