Poa aucklandica subsp. campbellensis
Common name
Campbell Island poa
Synonyms
Poa kirkii var campbellensis (Petrie) Zotov
Family
Poaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Grasses
Chromosome number
2n = 28
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2017 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes a statistical summary and brief notes on changes since 2012 and replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – an interim threat classification status has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 . 2018. Peter J. de Lange, Jeremy R. Rolfe, John W. Barkla, Shannel P. Courtney, Paul D. Champion, Leon R. Perrie, Sarah M. Beadel, Kerry A. Ford, Ilse Breitwieser, Ines Schönberger, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Peter B. Heenan and Kate Ladley. Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE, OL
Previous conservation statuses
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE, OL
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: IE
2004 | Range Restricted
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: Campbell Island
Habitat
Upland rocky herbfield
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.
Manaaki Whenua Online Interactive Key
Similar taxa
Allied to Poa aucklandica Petrie subsp. aucklandica and P. aucklandica subsp. rakiura Edgar. The first subspecies is confined to the Auckland Islands and differs by its larger tufted habit, with culms up to 300 cf. 100 mm tall in subsp. campbelliensis, less closely packed culms, longer ligule (up to 1.3 cf. 1.0 mm) and longer leaves (up to 160 mm cf. 50 mm) which are flat or folded rather than stiff and inrolled, larger panicle (up to 80 mm cf. 50 mm), subequal rather than unequal glumes and other minor differences in the glume ornamentation, lemma, palea and anther size ranges. Poa aucklandica subsp. rakiura differs by its restriction to Mt Anglem, Stewart Island, by its slender, laxly tufted habit, taller culms (up to 500 cf. 100 mm), occasionally finely pubescent-scabrid leaf-sheath, longer leaves (up to 200 cf. 50 mm), larger panicle up to 75 cf. 50 mm, and other minor differences in the glume ornamentation, lemma, palea and anther size ranges.
Flowering
Unknown—insufficiently studied and collected.
Fruiting
Unknown—insufficiently studied and collected.
Propagation technique
Unknown
Threats
Not threatened. Listed because it is a narrow range island endemic abundant within its known habitats.
Etymology
poa: Meadow grass
aucklandica: Of the Auckland Islands
Where To Buy
Not Commercially Available
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (June 2005). Description modified from Edgar and Connor (2000).
References and further reading
Edgar E, Connor HE. 2000. Flora of New Zealand. Vol. V. Grasses. Manaaki Whenua Press, Christchurch, NZ. 650 p.