Poa aucklandica subsp. campbellensis

Detailed description

Dull green, slenderly rhizomatous perennial forming small closely packed tufts with narrow, ± erect leaves, ± reaching top of culms; branching extravaginal at plant base, intravaginal above; leaf-blades persistent. Leaf-sheath glabrous, very light green or pale brown, membranous, shredding into fibres. Ligule 0.3–1.0 mm, apically glabrous, ± obtuse and slightly erose, abaxially slightly scabrid. Leaf-blade 20–50 × 0.5–1.5 mm, stiff, inrolled, underside smooth, upper surface minutely ciliate-scabrid on ribs; margins and midrib smooth, tip curved. Culms 20–100 mm tall, slender, internodes usually slightly scabrid below panicle. Panicle 15–50 mm, rather lax, with few large spikelets borne singly at tips of filiform, finely scabrid branches. Spikelets 4.5–6.5 mm, 3–5-flowered, brownish green or greenish purple. Glumes unequal, smooth, but occasionally scabrid on midnerve near tip, elliptic-ovate, acute to subacute; lower 3–4 mm long, 3-nerved, upper 4.0–4.5 mm, 3–5-nerved. Lemma 4.0–4.5 mm, elliptic-ovate, subacute to acute; 5–7-nerved, nerves minutely scabrid with a few short hairs near base of midnerve and outer lateral nerves, internerves glabrous, often scabrid towards tip, midnerve occasionally very slightly excurrent. Palea 3–4 mm, minutely closely scabrid on keels, smooth elsewhere. Callus with very small tuft of long crinkled hairs. Rachilla 1 mm, sparsely scabrid; prolongation to twice as long. Lodicules 0.5–0.7 mm. Anthers 0.3–0.4 mm. Seeds 1.5 × 0.7 mm.