AWARD FOR THESIS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29893, 6 August 1962, Page 11

AWARD FOR THESIS

Study Of Blue Tussock For his thesis on studies of populations of Poa colensoi or blue tussock in the South Island Mr G. T. Daly, an assistant lecturer in plant science at Lincoln College, has been awarded the Royal Agricultural Society's an* nual special award for the best thesis for a master’s degree completed at either Massey or Lincoln Agricultural Colleges last year. Blue tussocks range from large tussock-forming plants in dry areas to low mat-form-ing plants in some alpine and w?t areas; One of the most important aspects of Mr Daly’s studies has been the existence of waxiness on leaves of the tussock. The blue colour of the tussock was caused by the presence of this wax. he said, and evidence was now being found to show that the

wax on leaf surfaces was responsible for lower water loss from leaves. This was thus a matter of practical significance for plant survival in dry areas. It was also an explanation why the leaves of the tussock were blue in semi-arid and summer-dry regions, while in regions of high rainfall its leaves were uniformly green. Mr Daly, who was born at Cheviot, graduated bachelor of agricultural science from Lincoln in 1959 and master of agricultural science with first-ciass honours in agricultural botany this year. In September he will leave for Canada under a Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship to study in the botany department at McGill University at Montreal for a doctorate of philosophy.