Art. XVIII.—Description of a New Native Grass (Poa).

By D. Petrie, M.A.

[Read before the Auckland Institute, 22nd November, 1909.]

Poa oraria, sp. nov.

Gramen cæspitosum, parce foliosum, –50 cm. altum, leve, politum, perenne.

Culmi multi, erecti, glaberrimi, graciles, a basi ramosi, teretes, 2-nodosi, internodiis elongatis, folia longitudine æquantes, foliorum vaginis pæne ad imam paniculæ partem vestiti.

Folia longe vaginantia, vaginæ inferiores latæ, membranaceæ, stramineæ, leviter striatæ; ligula vaginam latitudine æquans, oblonga, obtusa; lamina teres, erecta, involuta, subrigida, gracillima, leviter striata, apice subacicularis.

Panicula strictissima, linearis, ± 10 cm. longa; ramis 3 v. paucioribus, brevibus, teretibus, glaberrimis, paucas spiculas sublonge pedicellatas gerentibus.

Spiculæ anguste oblongæ v. plus minus cuneatæ, 8 mm. longæ, 3 mm. latæ, 4 v. 5 flosculos gerentes.

Glumæ vacuæ subæquales, spiculis tertia parte breviores, anguste lineari-lanceolatæ, acuminatæ, 3-nervatæ.

Glumæ floriferæ anguste lanceolatæ, acuminatæ, membranaceæ, plerumque 5-nervatæ, nervo medio solo ad apicem attinente, basi parvo pilorum brevium flocco prædita, in nervis subsericeæ, alibi plus minus scabridæ.

Palea gluma florigera paulo brevior, 2-nervata, nervis delicatule ciliatis.

Hab.—Moist and wet stations at the head of several of the sounds of western Otago (Deep Cove, &c.). Collected by Mr. B. C. Aston in mid- January, 1909; it appears to flower towards the end of December.