Poa cita, commonly known as the silver tussock, or wī, which is also a Māori name, or by the Māori name ,[1] is a grass of the family Poaceae that is endemic to New Zealand.[2] Poa cita was described and named by Elizabeth Edgar in 1986, having previously being named Poa caespitosa.[3]
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.[4] [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.[4]