Poa cita | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Clade: | Commelinids |
Order: | Poales |
Family: | Poaceae |
Subfamily: | Pooideae |
Genus: | Poa |
Species: | P. cita
|
Binomial name | |
Poa cita | |
Synonyms | |
Poa caespitosa |
Poa cita, commonly known as the silver tussock, or wī, which is also a Māori name, or by the Māori name pātītī,[1] is a grass of the family Poaceae that is endemic to New Zealand.[2][3] Poa cita was described and named by Elizabeth Edgar in 1986, having previously being named Poa caespitosa.[2][4]
It is found throughout most of New Zealand, from the Kermadec Islands to Stewart Island / Rakiura and out to the Chatham Islands, but not known from Raglan to Manawatū in the west of the North Island, except on Mount Taranaki.[2][5][6]
It grows to 0.3–1.0 metres tall, and sometimes hangs as much as 2 metres long down steep banks. It has very fine, narrow leaves, usually 1–1.5 millimetres and up to 2.5 millimetres wide. Leaf width varies through the country, with narrow, needle-like leaves in the central North Island and relatively wide leaves in the northern North Island.[2]