Chionochloa rigida
{{Short description|Species of tussock grass}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=April 2025}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Chionochloa rigida in Flagstaff.jpg
| image_caption =
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Chionochloa
| species = rigida
| authority = (Raoul) Zotov
| synonyms =
}}
Chionochloa rigida, known commonly as narrow-leaved snow tussock and by its Māori name wī kura, is a species of tussock grass endemic to New Zealand.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=1671|title=Chionochloa rigida subsp. rigida {{!}} New Zealand Plant Conservation Network|website=www.nzpcn.org.nz|access-date=2019-12-03}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/motukarara-conservation-nursery/canterbury-native-plants-by-area/native-plants-of-sub-alpine-areas-in-canterbury/|title=Native plants of sub-alpine areas in Canterbury|website=Department of Conservation|language=en-nz|access-date=2019-12-03}} Two subspecies are recognised, including Chionochloa rigida rigida and Chionochloa rigida amara.{{Cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/13353/narrow-leaved-snow-tussock|title=Narrow-leaved snow tussock|last=Morrison|first=Peter|last2=Taonga|first2=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu|website=teara.govt.nz|language=en|access-date=2019-12-03}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=1670|title=Chionochloa rigida subsp. amara {{!}} New Zealand Plant Conservation Network|website=www.nzpcn.org.nz|access-date=2019-12-03}}
Distribution
Found throughout the lower half of the South Island, from Banks Peninsula and east of the Southern Alps through to Southland.{{Cite book|title=McCaskill Alpine Garden, Lincoln College : a collection of high country native plants|last=Talbot|first=J. M.|last2=Prendergast|first2=Pat V.|date=1984|publisher=Lincoln College.Tussock Grasslands & Mountain Lands Institute.|hdl = 10182/6299|isbn=978-0-908584-21-5|language=en}}
The subspecies C. rigida amara has a more western distribution and is found south of around 43°S in the Southern Alps.
= Habitat =
Prefers montane to low alpine zones, but is known to descend to sea level in Otago.{{Cite web|url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-DawFore-t1-body-d8-d5.html|title=Tussock Herbfield {{!}} NZETC|website=nzetc.victoria.ac.nz|access-date=2019-12-03}} It prefers drier soils.
Conservation
The narrow-leaved snow tussock is classified as "Least Concern" by the IUCN and Not Threatened by the Department of Conservation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/en|title=The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species|website=IUCN Red List of Threatened Species|access-date=2019-12-03}}