New Zealand
Fast-growing, densely tufted, graceful, tawny-green tussock. Prefers exposed sites. Great in mass plantings. Evergreen. Hardy.
HABIT - Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect, or rambling; 30–100 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 20–60 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; smooth; puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex hardened.
INFLORESCENCE - Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above. Panicle open; ovate; 10–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading. Panicle branches scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS - Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; scaberulous. Floret callus woolly.
GLUMES - Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 3.5–5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1–1.1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume margins scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.
FLORETS - Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; elliptic in profile; 3–5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous; ciliate; hairy below. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough between veins; pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 3–4 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea surface scabrous.
Found in open grasslands from coastal to subalpine regions, Silver Tussock produces a dense fine textured mound and upright arching stalks studded with slender, loosely arranged inflorescences. Easy-to-grow Poa cita looks best in drifts and knows how to persevere, doggedly enduring dry sunny niches, exposed windy sites, and an array of soil types.