Light green, ± stout, moderately tall, extravaginal tufts or rosettes, leaves < ± nodding, narrowplumed culms. Sheaths light brown, with minute, soft, appressed, retrorse hairs; ligule 0.5-1.5 mm long, membranous, minutely scabrous on back, minutely ciliate across ± truncate top, occasionally asymmetric; lamina to 40 cm long, 1.5-5 mm wide, somewhat stiff, flat or slightly inrolled, gradually tapered, strongly nerved, minutely scabrous along margins and along nerves on adaxial surface, and on nerves of abaxial surface near tip. Culms (30)-50- 100-(120) cm long, glabrous or minutely scaberulous below panicle. Panicle 10-25 cm long, erect, spike-like, light green to stramineous, densely branched, close-set erect branches hidden by spikelets pulled together by entwining awns; rachis, branchlets and pedicels closely short-scabrous; spikelets numerous, shining. Glumes very narrow, linear-lanceolate, silvery, hyaline except for scaberulous midnerve, lower 4.5-8-(9) mm long, ± = lemma, often shortly aristate, upper 5.5-8.5- (10) mm long, slightly > lemma, tip acuminate. Lemma (4.5)-5-7-(8) mm long, minutely scabrous, tip scarcely bifid; awn 20-30 mm long, light green to purple, inserted 1.5-3 mm below lemma tip, column straight, awn ± falcate and twisted about once. Palea 3-5 mm long, very narrow, keels minutely scabrous near ciliate tip. Callus hairs up to 0.7 mm long. Rachilla prolongation up to 0.1 mm long. Lodicules 0.5-0.7 mm long, membranous, elliptic, acute, apically ciliate. Anthers 1-3, (0.7)-1.0-2.0 mm long in chasmogamous flowers, 0.2-0.9 mm long in cleistogamous flowers. Caryopsis 2.0-2.5 × 0.3-0.4 mm; embryo 0.3-0.4 mm long; hilum 1.9- 2.3 mm long.

Slender, erect, perennials, tufted at base, with wiry ± nodding culms. Sheaths densely, minutely puberulous to glabrous; ligule short, membranous, truncate; lamina rather stiff, flat, margins often inrolled, gradually tapered to acute tip; microhairs absent. Culms much overtopping leaves at maturity, few-noded. Panicle contracted, densely branched, to open with few lax branches. Spikelets 1-(rarely 3)-flowered. Glumes 1-(3)-nerved, unequal to subequal, <, =, or > lemma, hyaline except for scaberulous midnerve, acute to acuminate to shortly aristate. Lemma 5-nerved, fusiform, awn long, flexuous, inserted below tip, ± geniculate, column scarcely or much twisted. Palea < lemma, hyaline, narrow, with 2 close-set scabrous keels. Lodicules 2, oblong, without nerves, ± bidentate, glabrous or with a few cilia along top. Rachilla articulated above glumes, projection minute. Callus very short, ringed by minute hairs. Stamens 1, 3, or variably 1-3, very small in cleistogamous flowers. Ovary glabrous, styles apical, free to base, persistent in fruit and forming a small beak, stigmas plumose. Caryopsis cylindric, adaxially longitudinally grooved; hilum sub-basal, punctiform; embryo minute; endosperm liquid. Flowering chasmogamous or cleistogamous.

Rather small, slender extravaginal tufts, leaves much < culms. Sheaths dull or light brown, glabrous or minutely scabrous below collar, or lowermost scabrous throughout, sometimes with scattered hairs; ligule 0.1-0.5 mm long, membranous, ciliate along truncate top, minutely scabrous on back; lamina to 15 cm long, 1-2.5 mm wide, flat, tapered, margins minutely scabrous towards tip, nerves on adaxial surface scabrous, occasionally both, or only adaxial, surface with short hairs. Culms 25-70 cm long, entirely glabrous, or slightly and minutely scabrous below purpled nodes. Panicle 10-30 cm long, lax; branchlets few, slender, in ± distant whorls, naked in lower third; rachis, branchlets and pedicels short-scabrous, visible between spikelets; spikelets purple, few. Glumes elliptic-lanceolate, acute, hyaline apart from scaberulous midnerve, lower (2.5)-3-3.5-(4.5) mm long, < lemma, upper (3.5)-4-5-(5.5) mm long, <, = or rarely > lemma. Lemma 4-6 mm long, surface minutely scabrous, tip shortly bifid; awn 13.5-18.5 mm long, purple, inserted c. 0.5 mm below lemma tip, column ± straight, awn twisting about 2-3 times. Palea 3.5- 4 mm long, narrow-linear, keels scabrous near ciliate tip. Callus hairs (0.5)-c. 1 mm long. Rachilla prolongation up to 0.2 mm long. Lodicules 0.4- 0.7 mm long, hyaline, cuneate, somewhat bilobed with a few apical hairs. Anthers 3, (0.9)-1.0-1.5- (2.5) mm long in chasmogamous flowers, (0.1)-0.2- 0.7 mm long in cleistogamous flowers. Caryopsis 2- 2.5 × 0.3-0.4 mm; embryo 0.2-0.4 mm long; hilum 1.8-2.3 mm long.

Stout, rather rigid, extravaginal tufts, leaves < stiff, erect culms. Sheaths stramineous to dull brown, with minute, appressed, scattered hairs; ligule 0.3-0.5-(1) mm long, membranous, minutely ciliate across truncate top, scabrous on back, often asymmetric; lamina to 20 cm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, rather stiff, flat, tapered towards tip, minutely scabrous on margins and along nerves on adaxial surface towards tip, sparingly minutely scabrous on abaxial surface. Culms 40-100 cm long, minutely scaberulous throughout, or glabrous, but minutely scaberulous below panicle, variously purpled. Panicle 10-25 cm long, erect, spike-like, often purplish, branches spreading at first; rachis, branchlets and pedicels closely short-scabrous; spikelets numerous, close-set on branchlets, rather delicate. Glumes narrow-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, hyaline apart from scaberulous midnerve, often suffused with purple, lower glume 3- 4 mm long, ± = lemma, upper 3.5-5 mm long, > lemma. Lemma 2.5-4 mm long, sometimes purpled; awn 12-18 mm long, very fine, column straight, awn curving above and twisted 2-3 times along whole length, inserted 0.6-0.9 mm below minutely bifid tip. Palea 2-3 mm long, narrowlinear, keels scabrous above, tip ciliate. Callus hairs 0.3-0.5 mm long. Rachilla prolongation c. 0.05 mm long. Lodicules (0.4)-0.6-0.8 mm long, hyaline, elliptic-oblong, unequally bilobed, occasionally minutely ciliate. Anthers 1, 1.2-1.4 mm long in chasmogamous flowers, 0.6-0.8 mm long in cleistogamous flowers. Caryopsis 2.0-2.3 × 0.3- 0.4 mm; embryo 0.2-0.4 mm long; hilum 1.8- 1.9 mm long.

Stout or slender, moderately tall, extravaginal tufts, leaves < culms. Sheaths light brown, sometimes purpled, usually glabrous below and scaberulous above, rarely with projecting hairs; ligule (0.5)-1-1.5 mm long, membranous, ciliate across truncate top, scabrous to ciliate on back, often asymmetric; lamina to 10 cm long, 1.5- 2.5 mm wide, rather stiff, flat, minutely scabrous along nerves and margins, tapered towards tip. Culms 35-70 cm tall, glabrous, often minutely scaberulous near nodes. Panicle (5.5)-10-16 cm long, ± lax, with short, ± erect, few-flowered branchlets; rachis, branchlets and pedicels shortscabrous, partly visible among spikelets; spikelets pale, shining. Glumes ± equal, > lemma, ellipticlanceolate, aristate, hyaline apart from scabrous midnerve, lower 4-5.5-(6) mm long, upper 4.5- 6 mm long. Lemma 3.5-5 mm long, surface minutely scabrous, tip opaque, scabrous, bifid; awn 10-20 mm long, once geniculate, brownish, inserted 0.3-0.5-(0.9) mm below lemma tip, column tightly twisted several times. Palea 3-4 mm long, narrowlinear, keels scabrous near ciliate tip. Callus hairs 0.5-1 mm long. Lodicules 0.5-0.7 mm long, ellipticoblong, bifid at shortly ciliate tip. Rachilla prolongation usually obvious, up to c. 1 mm long. Anthers 1-3, 0.8-1.9 mm long in chasmogamous flowers, 0.4-0.9 mm long in cleistogamous flowers. Caryopsis (1.4)-1.8-2 × 0.3-0.4 mm; embryo 0.2- 0.4 mm long; hilum (1.2)-1.6-1.8 mm long. Naturalised in New Zealand from Australia.

Stout or slender, rather tall extravaginal tufts, leaves < culms. Sheaths light brown, sometimes purpled, with numerous short projecting hairs; ligule 1- 1.5 mm long, membranous, ciliate across truncate top, scabrous to ciliate on back, often asymmetric; lamina to 15 cm long, 1—1.5—(3) mm wide, rather stiff, flat, both surfaces with short stiff projecting hairs, margins minutely scabrous, nerves on adaxial surface minutely scabrous, tapered towards tip. Culms 40-90 cm tall, usually shortly puberulous, especially below, sometimes scabrous, nodes ringed above and below with short appressed hairs. Panicle (7.5)-12-25 cm long, very lax, branchlets spreading and visible among spikelets; rachis, branchlets and pedicels short-scabrous; spikelets few, often purpled. Glumes unequal, elliptic-lanceolate, acute, hyaline apart from scabrous midnerve, lower 3.5- 5 mm long, < or rarely = lemma, upper 4—6 mm long, <, =, or > lemma. Lemma 4—6 mm long, densely scaberulous, tip hyaline, less scaberulous, shortly bifid; awn 10-15 mm long, inserted 0.3- 0.5 mm below tip, column very tightly twisted, awn usually geniculate at base of column and again above. Palea 3.5-5.5 mm long, narrow-linear, keels scabrous near ciliate tip. Callus hairs 1.0-1.5 mm long. Lodicules 0.5-0.7 mm long, elliptic-oblong, bifid at glabrous tip. Rachilla prolongation up to 0.5 mm long. Anthers 3, 0.9-2.8 mm long in chasmogamous flowers, 0.4-0.6 mm long in cleistogamous flowers. Caryopsis (2.3)-2.5-2.9 × 0.4- 0.6 mm; embryo 0.4-0.5 mm long; hilum 2.1- 2.7 mm long. Naturalised in New Zealand from Australia.