Loose to dense perennial tufts to c. 100 cm tall, often forming a dense turf or loose sward, spreading by very shortrhizomes; branching intra- andextravaginal, the intravaginal shoots erect or sometimes decumbent or forming trailing stolons, the extravaginal shoots subterranean, bearing pale scale-leaves. Sheaths smooth, greenish to purplish; ligule 0.6-2 mm, truncate to rounded, in non-flowering shoots shorter than wide; lamina (1.5)-2-13-(15) cm × 1-2.5- (5) mm, flat or ± involute, ± scabrous, acute. Culms erect or geniculate, often procumbent and branching then erect or inclined, sometimes remaining ± horizontal, usually smooth, rarely scabrous below panicle. Panicle 2-15-(28) cm long, oblong to ovate or pyramidal, much-branched, usually very lax with branches spreading; rachis smooth or sometimes scabrous above, branchlets and pedicels smooth or slightly scabrous. Spikelets 1.5-3.5 mm, purplish brown to greenish. Glumes subequal, lanceolate, acute; lower glume slightly scabrous above on midnerve, upper glume smooth. Lemma 1.5-2.5 mm, smooth or sparsely scabrous, glabrous, ovate or elliptic, obtuse or truncate, 3-nerved with marginal nerves sometimes slightly excurrent and midnerve not usually reaching lemma tip, or rarely 5-nerved with midnerve produced to an awn arising middorsally and occasionally geniculate and projecting slightly beyond tip of lemma. Palea usually ½-2/3 length of lemma, usually bifid. Callus glabrous or with very short hairs. Anthers 1-1.5 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.4 mm. 2n = 28. Naturalised in New Zealand from Europe and temperate Asia.

Grey-green, rather fine-leaved perennial, forming tufts 30-90 cm tall, with long, slender rhizomes; branching intravaginal. Sheaths smooth, brownish green or purplish; ligule 0.7-2 mm, or up to 3 mm in culm leaves, somewhat tapered or rounded across the minutely ciliate tip, longer than wide; lamina 4- 16 cm × 1.5-4 mm, flat, finely scabrous, adaxially finely ridged, margins scabrous, tip acute. Culms erect, smooth. Panicle 10-24 cm long, linearlanceolate to spreading, then later more contracted; rachis, branchlets and pedicels sparsely scabrous to almost smooth. Spikelets 2-3 mm, grey-green to purplish; terminal spikelets usually with awned, 5- nerved lemmas, and lateral spikelets with awnless, 3-5-nerved lemmas. Glumes subequal, ellipticlanceolate, acute or acuminate; lower glume with keel scabrous in upper ½, upper glume slightly shorter, smooth to scabrous on keel near tip. Lemma 1.6-2.2 mm, (3)-5-nerved, ovate-oblong, truncatelobulate, the outer lateral nerves usually minutely excurrent, awned lemmas often with a few hairs in lower ½ near margin, awnless lemmas glabrous; awn, when present, from near base of lemma and ± = lemma or up to twice length of lemma, occasionally awn very minute, mid-dorsal or from just below lemma tip and not projecting beyond lemma. Palea ½-2/3 length of lemma, shallowly bifid. Callus with minute tufts of hairs on either side, or sometimes glabrous in spikelets with awnless, 3- nerved, glabrous lemmas. Rachilla sometimes produced and tipped with a small tuft of hairs in awned spikelets, otherwise 0. Anthers 1-1.5 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.4 mm. 2n = 42. Naturalised in New Zealand from S Europe and WAsia.

Tufts usually stiff, occasionally more lax with wide leaves, (10)-15-55 cm tall, with culms usually much overtopping leaves; branching intravaginal. Sheaths firmly membranous, light green to light greyish brown, distinctly nerved, smooth, or scabrous above near ligule, or scabrous throughout or only basal sheaths scabrous, later shredding into fibres; ligule 0.8- 2.2 mm, truncate, erose to lacerate, abaxially smooth or scabrous; lamina 3.5-10-(17.5) cm × 1-2.5- (4) mm, usually flat, abaxially smooth or finely scabrous along nerves, adaxially finely scabrous, margins finely scabrous, tip acute to acuminate. Culms erect or geniculate at base, smooth. Panicle (4)-5- 12-(20) cm long, narrowly branched, lanceolate, either contracted after flowering but > 5 mm wide, or remaining open; rachis smooth, branchlets and pedicels filiform, sparsely scabrous. Spikelets c. 3 - 3.5-(4) mm, green to brownish purple. Glumes ± equal, smooth, elliptic-lanceolate, acute, keel finely scabrous along upper half, margins scabrous near tip. Lemma 2.3-3.3 mm, smooth, glabrous, 5-nerved, ovate-elliptic, truncate, minutely denticulate; awn 0, or rarely with a fine, straight scabrous awn to c. 2 mm from mid-point to upper 1/3 of lemma, scarcely or not protruding beyond glumes. Palea 0.5-0.8 mm, ovate. Lodicules ± = or slightly < palea. Callus with small tuft of hairs or only a few minute hairs below each lemma margin. Anthers 0.6-1.2 mm. Caryopsis 1- 1.8 × 0.3-0.5 mm. 2n = 42. Endemic.

Tufted, bright green, wide-leaved perennial, 60-120 cm tall with strong rhizomes; branching intra- or extravaginal, with the extravaginal shoots spreading underground as long rhizomes. Sheaths smooth, or very minutely scabrous, especially near margins; ligule 1.5-6 mm, denticulate across top, longer than wide; lamina 6-15 cm × 3-8 mm, flat, finely scabrous along nerves on both surfaces and on margins, tip acute. Culms erect or geniculate at base, sometimes trailing, smooth. Panicle 18-30 cm long, pyramidal, erect, branches spreading almost horizontally; rachis usually scabrous above, branchlets and pedicels closely scabrous. Spikelets 1.8-2.2 mm, green or purplish. Glumes subequal, lanceolate, acute; lower glume = spikelet, scabrous on upper ½ of midnerve, upper glume usually slightly shorter, scabrous towards tip with less noticeable prickle-teeth. Lemma 1.5-2 mm, smooth, glabrous, ovate, truncate, 3-5-nerved, lateral nerves usually very shortly excurrent, midnerve sometimes produced to very short awn from near tip or dorsally from just above midpoint, not usually projecting beyond lemma tip. Palea ½-2/3 length of lemma, bifid or ± truncate. Callus usually with very short hairs. Anthers 1.3-1.6 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.5mm.

Very slender, lax, perennial tufts, 15-35 cm tall, with long, very slender, spike-like panicles on slender culms much overtopping leaves; branching extravaginal. Sheaths narrow, membranous, light creamish brown to reddish, smooth, firmly and distinctly nerved; ligule 0.8-1.6 mm, obtuse, often erase, abaxially smooth; lamina 2-13 cm long, filiform, flaccid, involute, 0.2-0.4 mm wide in rolled state, abaxially finely nerved and, in young leaves, finely scabrous, later smooth, adaxially scabrous along ridged nerves, margins scabrous, tip fine, blunt Culms almost filiform, smooth, erect or geniculate at base. Panicle (2.5)-5-9 cm long, contracted, extremely narrow-linear, 2-3 mm wide; rachis and few short erect branchlets and pedicels sparsely, finely scabrous, often pale purplish. Spikelets 1.5-2.4 mm, pale greenish purple to straw coloured. Glumes ± equal, lanceolate, minutely scabrous on keel and on margins near acute tip. Lemma 1.5-1.9 mm, at times scarcely < glumes, smooth, glabrous, faintly 5-nerved, ovateoblong, denticulate across top, awnless, or rarely a few florets in the panicle with lemmas awned from just below the tip, the awn straight, fine, up to 1 mm, scarcely protruding beyond glumes. Palea 0.1- 0.2 mm, ovate. Lodicules 0.3-0.4 mm. Callus with few very minute hairs. Anthers 0.6-1 mm. Caryopsis 1-1.4 × 0.3 mm. Endemic.

Annual or perennial, tufted, or widely creeping and rhizomatous or stoloniferous. Sheaths rounded at back; ligule membranous; lamina flat or involute. Culms of various height, erect, or decumbent and geniculately ascending; nodes glabrous. Inflorescence a diffuse and often delicately branched or contracted panicle, sometimes spike-like, rarely much reduced and hidden among leaves; panicle rachis persistent at maturity. Spikelets small, numerous to few, 1-flowered, hermaphrodite; rachilla disarticulating above glumes, usually not prolonged. Glumes equal to subequal, lanceolate, acute to acuminate, sometimes subobtuse, membranous, shining, 1-nerved, keel ± scabrous. Lemma usually < glumes, thinner in texture than glumes, hyaline to firmly membranous, broadly ovate, usually truncate to dentate, rounded at back, 3-5-(7)- nerved, with nerves sometimes excurrent, awnless or with a dorsal awn. Palea hyaline, 2-keeled or nerveless, usually < lemma, sometimes very small or obsolete, almost covered by inrolled margins of lemma. Callus short or minute, blunt, glabrous, or with ± minute lateral tufts of hairs. Lodicules 2, lanceolate, hyaline, Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous; styles distinct, free to base, short; stigmas 2, plumose. Caryopsis ovoid or fusiform, ± dorsally compressed, longitudinally grooved or terete; embryo small; hilum punctiform or elongate; endosperm sometimes liquid. Flowering in all indigenous species is chasmogamous. Temperate regions throughout the world and in the tropics at high altitudes, c. 220 species.

Tufted, leafy perennial, very variable in size, usually ± erect, but occasionally with prostrate culms, 5-45 cm tall, leaves overtopping panicles, or panicles projecting beyond leaves; branching extravaginal. Sheaths firmly membranous, very pale creamy brown, closely nerved, smooth, later shredding into fibres; ligule 1-5 mm, truncate, irregularly denticulate, abaxially scabrous; lamina 2-16 cm × 0.5-1 mm if folded and inrolled, sometimes flattish and up to 2 mm wide, tough, abaxially smooth with midnerve prominent only near base and scabrous near acute tip, adaxially strongly, closely ribbed, ribs with fine prickle-teeth, margins scabrous. Culms erect or slightly geniculate at base, finely scabrous below panicle or occasionally smooth. Panicle 2-10-(12) cm long, contracted, erect, densely elliptic- or linearoblong; rachis, branchlets, and pedicels erect and closely scabrous. Spikelets (excluding awn) 3.5- 5 mm, greenish purple. Glumes subequal, usually finely scabrous on surface, especially near acuminate tip, and strongly scabrous on keel throughout or only towards tip. Lemma (1.5)—1.8-2.2-(2.5) mm, smooth, glabrous, 5-nerved, the nerves thickened and sometimes minutely scabrous above, ovate, truncate and shortly 4-toothed, always awned; awn 3-4- (5) mm, mid-dorsal, scabrous, very fine, usually flexuous and twisted near base, often projecting well beyond glumes. Palea 0.4-0.7 mm, ovate-elliptic. Lodicules 0.5-0.6 mm. Callus with minute tufts of hair on either side of lemma base. Anthers 0.5- 0.9 mm. Caryopsis 1.2-1.6 × 0.4-0.5 mm.

Dense, often small, dull green, usually strict, perennial tufts, (3)-5-30 cm tall, with narrow, usually dark purplish, sometimes green spike-like panicles on slender culms much overtopping to scarcely overtopping leaves; branching intravaginal. Sheaths ± membranous, light green or pale brownish, smooth, with a few distinct nerves rarely minutely scabrous above; ligule 1—2—(3) mm, acute to truncate, usually fimbriate to lacerate, abaxially scabrous; lamina 1- 7 cm × 0.4-0.7 mm, folded with involute margins, often filiform, or strict and firm, ± erect, sometimes more flattened and wider, to 2 mm, abaxially smooth or finely scabrous, adaxially finely scabrous along nerves, margins finely scabrous, narrowed to fine subobtuse tip; uppermost culm leaves abaxially scabrous. Culms smooth, erect Panicle 1-4.5-(10) cm long, contracted, erect, densely narrow-linear, longer panicles densely oblong, > 5 mm wide; rachis smooth or obscurely scabrous, branchlets and pedicels short, erect, capillary, finely scabrous. Spikelets (1.5)-2- 3-(3.2) mm (excluding awns if present). Glumes ± unequal, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, acute to subobtuse, usually tinged deep reddish purple, occasionally entirely green, margins hyaline, colourless or purplish, usually finely scabrous on keel and at times near tip, otherwise smooth or papillose; lower glume = spikelet, upper glume (1.4)-2-2.5-(3) mm. Lemma 1.4-2 mm, smooth, glabrous, 5-nerved, lateral nerves often faint, oblong-ovate, obtuse or truncate, usually minutely denticulate; awn 0, or present and dorsal, from mid-point or from just below upper 1/3, 0.5-2-(2.5) mm, delicate, usually projecting beyond glumes. Palea c. 0.4 mm, ovate. Lodicules 0.3-0.4 mm. Callus with very few minute hairs or glabrous. Anthers 0.4-1 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.3-0.5 mm.

Small, tight, pale green or glaucous perennial, forming rounded cushions or mats 0.6-2-(6) cm high and up to 10 cm diam., with many culms, much-branched at base; branching intravaginal. Sheaths hyaline, whitish, smooth and glabrous, with few conspicuous green nerves, usually completely concealing culms, much wider than and sometimes longer than laminae; ligule 0.5-1.5-(4) mm, truncate to acute, usually lacerate or fimbriate, abaxially with scattered prickle-teeth; lamina (0.1)-0.4-1.2-(4) cm long, involute and 0.2- 0.4 mm wide, spreading and recurved, abaxially smooth, adaxially ridged and finely scabrous along ridges, margins minutely scabrous, tip obtuse. Culms erect, smooth. Panicle usually almost concealed among leaf sheaths and often recurved, contracted to a minute, dense, ovate head 3.5-7 mm long, with few or many spikelets; rachis, branchlets and pedicels very short, minutely, sparsely scabrous. Spikelets 1.5-2 mm, greenish. Glumes ± equal, ovatelanceolate, acute, with green scabrous keel and wide, smooth hyaline margins minutely ciliate on edges near tip. Lemma 1.2-1.4 mm, smooth, glabrous, faintly 5-nerved, ovate-oblong, truncate, awnless. Palea 0.2-0.4 mm, orbicular or ovate. Lodicules 0.2- 0.3 mm. Callus glabrous. Anthers 0.4-0.6 mm. Caryopsis 0.7-1 × 0.3-0.4 mm. 2n = 42. Endemic.

Bright green, perennial tufts 5-25 cm tall, with culms overtopping leaves, occasionally stoloniferous; branching intravaginal. Sheaths hyaline, light green to light brown, distinctly nerved, usually glabrous, rarely with sparse prickle-teeth; ligule 1-4.5 mm, truncate to obtuse, denticulate or entire, glabrous throughout; lamina 2-7 cm × 1.5-2 mm if flat, and c. 0.5 mm wide when folded, abaxially smooth, rarely uppermost leaf scabrous, adaxially strongly nerved, usually scabrous on nerves, margins often entirely smooth, sometimes sparsely, or rarely densely, minutely scabrous, tip fine, blunt, scabrous. Culms erect, smooth. Panicle (1.5)-2-6 cm long, open, laxly oblong to pyramidal, with spreading sometimes flexuous branchlets; rachis smooth, branchlets and pedicels smooth or scabrous. Spikelets (excluding awn) 2-2.5-(3) mm, usually purplish. Glumes ± unequal, acute to acuminate, finely scabrous on keel near tip, margins smooth, rarely scabrous at tip, lower glume = spikelet, ovate-lanceolate, upper 1.7-2.5- (2.9) mm, elliptic-lanceolate. Lemma 1.5-2 mm, smooth, glabrous, faintly 5-nerved, ovate, obtuse, always awned; awn (l.5)-2-3 mm, usually middorsal, usually geniculate, sometimes ± straight, slightly projecting beyond glumes. Palea c. 0.5 mm, ovate. Lodicules c. 0.3 mm. Callus with minute hairs. Anthers (0.4)-0.6-0.9 mm. Caryopsis c. 1.5 × 0.7 mm. Endemic.

Gramen perenne, caespitosum, interdum stoloniferum, 5- 25 cm altum, culmis erectis folia superantibus; innovationes intravaginales. Vaginae plerumque glabrae; ligula omnino glabra; laminae plemmque glabrae. Panicula laxa, oblonga vel pyramidalis, (1.5)-2-6 cm long a, ramulis patentibus glabris vel sparsim scabris. Spiculae plerumque purpurascentes. Glumae plus minusve inaequales, acutae vel acuminatae. Lemma leviter 5-nerve, glabrum, semper arista turn; arista plerumque mediodorsalis, nonnihil glumas superans. Palea minuta. Callus pills minutis utraque latere ornatus. A. magellarucae similis lemmatibus semper aristatis, omnibus partibus tamen minor; A. muellerianae etiam proxima cuius spicularum magnitudinem et colorem habet, differt vero glumis minus scabris papillosisque, et ab utraque specie panicula laxiore.

Small, finely rhizomatous tufts 3-5-{20) cm tall, with fine, pale green or blue-green, to light brown leaves and narrowly branched, delicate panicles usually scarcely overtopping leaves; branching extravaginal at plant base, intravaginal above. Sheaths ± hyaline, light green to light brown, smooth, with few, well-marked nerves; ligule 0.1-0.6 mm, truncate, minutely ciliate across top or erase, abaxially smooth; lamina 0.8-2.5 cm × 0.2-0.4 mm, narrow-linear, involute, filiform, abaxially glabrous except near blunt, minutely scabrous tip, adaxially usually finely scabrous along nerves. Culms slender, erect, smooth. Panicle 0.6-2-(3) cm long, open, ovate to pyramidal, with few, minutely, sparsely ciliate branchlets each tipped by a single spikelet. Spikelets (1.2)—1.5-2 mm, pale green to light creamy brown, sometimes purplish. Glumes ± equal, and usually c. = lemma, ovatelanceolate, subobtuse, scabrous on keel near tip and sometimes finely ciliate on margins near tip. Lemma 1.2-1.8 mm, smooth, glabrous, faintly 5-nerved, ovate, obtuse or almost truncate, awnless. Palea 0.4-0.6 mm, ovate. Lodicules 0.2-0.4 mm. Callus glabrous. Anthers 0.4-0.7-(l) mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.5 mm. Endemic.

Lax, slender tufts 6.5-30-(60) cm tall, with delicate panicles equalling or overtopping the usually soft, flaccid leaves; branching extravaginal. Sheaths membranous, light green to light brown, lower sheaths often minutely ciliate-scabrous, upper sheaths glabrous; ligule 0.8-2 mm, truncate to ± obtuse, slightly erose, abaxially finely scabrous; lamina 2- 8 cm × 0.5-1.5-(3) mm, flat, or folded and inrolled at margins, abaxially smooth, or sometimes scabrous, especially towards tip and on uppermost culm-leaves, adaxially ciliate-scabrous along nerves, margins sparsely scabrous, occasionally almost smooth, tip acute, scabrous. Culms usually geniculate at base or erect, smooth. Panicle (2)-4.5-8.5-(16) cm long, ovate-lanceolate to pyramidal with filiform branchlets bare at base and spreading widely at maturity; rachis, branchlets, and pedicels sparsely scabrous. Spikelets c. 2-2.5 mm, rarely to 3 mm, purplish green. Glumes subequal, acute, with greenish central portion and wide, colourless to purplish margins, keel scabrous above, margins scabrous near tip; lower glume narrow-lanceolate, keel scabrous in upper 2/3, upper glume ovate-lanceolate, keel scabrous in upper 1/3 to ½. Lemma 1.4-2-(2.2) mm, smooth, glabrous, 5-nerved, ovate-oblong, truncate, ± denticulate, awnless or with delicate awn 1-3 mm, inserted just above mid point or higher, to c. upper 1/3 of lemma. Palea 0.3-0.6 mm, orbicular. Lodicules 0.3-0.6 mm, = or usually > palea. Callus with tufts of min ute hairs. Anthers 0.4-0.7-(0.9) mm. Caryopsis 1-1.5 × 0.4- 0.6 mm.

Perennial, loose, tussocky, bluish green or greyish green clumps (15)-30-55 cm tall, with slender, strictly involute, finely scabrous leaves much < culms; branching extravaginal. Sheaths firm, light brown, the lower minutely ciliate-scabrous, the upper smooth, nerves few, thick; ligule 1-4.5 mm, obtuse to truncate, denticulate, abaxially scabrous; lamina 4-10.5- (18) cm × 0.3-1 mm, stiff and wiry, densely minutely papillose-scabrous throughout, tip obtuse. Culms erect or geniculate at base, smooth. Panicle 4-16 cm long, laxly oblong; rachis smooth, branchlets and pedicels ± spreading, very delicate, reddish brown, finely, sparsely scabrous. Spikelets 2.5-3.4 mm, pale greenish to brownish, sometimes purplish. Glumes ± equal, lanceolate, keel and margins usually finely scabrous near acute tip. Lemma 2-2.6 mm, smooth, glabrous, 5-nerved, ovate, obtuse to truncate, minutely denticulate; awn (1.5)-2—3 mm, mid-dorsal, straight or slightly flexuous, sometimes 0. Palea 0.2-0.4 mm, orbicular. Lodicules 0.2-0.4 mm. Callus with very few short hairs. Anthers (c. 1)—1.3—1.8 mm. Caryopsis c. 1.5 × 0.5 mm. Endemic.

Perennial tufts of variable habit, to c. 100 cm tall, spreading by long, overground stolons, sometimes low-growing and trailing, or turf-forming, sometimes loosely or densely tufted; branching intra- and/or extravaginal, the intravaginal shoots often trailing and elongating as stolons or sometimes erect, the extravaginal shoots at once ascending with 2-3 scale leaves at base. Sheaths smooth or slightly scabrous, green or purple-tinged; ligule (l)-2-6 mm, rounded and fimbriate across top, longer than wide; lamina 1- 20 cm × c. I-8 mm, flat, minutely scabrous along nerves, tip acute. Culms geniculate to rarely erect, or trailing and branching, rooting at lower nodes, smooth. Panicle 3-28 × 0.5-2.5-(6) cm, lanceolate to ovate with spreading branches at flowering, later ± contracted with branches ± erect and appressed to rachis; rachis smooth, branchlets and pedicels scabrous. Spikelets 1.5-2.5-(3) mm, greenish or yellowish, becoming brownish or purplish. Glumes ± unequal, the upper slightly shorter, elliptic-lanceolate, midnerve scabrous above, surface sometimes slightly scabrous near acute to acuminate tip. Lemma 1.3- 2 mm, ± truncate, 5-nerved, smooth to ± scabrous below and sometimes scabrous on nerves, outer lateral nerves usually slightly excurrent and a minute lobe usually opposite each inner lateral nerve, the midnerve not reaching top of lemma and usually ending in an extremely minute projection c. 2/3 way up lemma, or midnerve rarely produced as a short, subterminal awn. Palea usually ½ to 2/3 length of lemma, usually obtuse, rarely shallowly notched at top. Callus glabrous or with very few minute hairs. Anthers 0.9- 1.5 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.4 mm. 2n = 28. Naturalised in New Zealand from Europe, temperate Asia, North America.

Small, dense perennial, forming tufts 3—9 cm tall, with strict leaves often overtopping the light green spike-like panicles; branching intravaginal. Sheaths ± hyaline, light brown, strongly nerved, finely scabrous, especially above near margins; ligule 0.8-1-(1.6) mm, denticulate, abaxially scabrous; lamina 1.5-4 cm × 0.3- 0.6 mm, firm, inrolled, strongly nerved, minutely, closely ciliale-scabrous throughout, tip blunL Culms hidden among leaves, erect, scabrous. Panicle 1-2 cm long, contracted, densely oblong; rachis, branchlets, and pedicels erect and closely short-scabrous. Spikelets 2- 3.3 mm. Glumes subequal, lanceolate, pale green, rarely tinged light purple, ciliate-scabrous almost throughout except near base.Lemma 1.3-1.6 mm,smooth, glabrous, distinctly 5-nerved, ovate, truncate, minutely denticulate, margins minutely scabrous near tip, usually awnless, but occasionally with delicate awn to 2 mm long from upper 1/3 of midnerve. Palea 0.3-0.4 mm, ovate. Lodicules 0.4 mm. Callus glabrous. Anthers (0.4)-0.5-0.7 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.5 mm. Endemic.