Small hoary-leaved tufts; leaves much < culms; new shoots intravaginal. Sheaths light purple, of basal leaves glabrous, of culm leaves abundantly long-hairy; collar hairs to 3.5 mm long; ligule 0.7 mm long; lamina to 9 cm long, ± flat, to 2 mm wide, densely and conspicuously covered with long stiff hairs, margins thickened, scabrous. Culms up to 45 cm tall, glabrous, long-hairy below inflorescence. Panicle short, broad, up to 4.5 cm long, with few large spikelets on short pedicels; rhachis and pedicels covered with long fine hairs; spikelets 5-8-flowered, awns exserted from glumes. Glumes purpled, lanceolate, obtuse, 10-14 mm long, ± equal, lower 9-11-nerved, upper 9-nerved, occasionally with long scattered hairs. Lemma 3.0-3.7 mm long, 9-nerved, upper and lower rows of hairs very dense, continuous, upper hairs much < lemma lobes, marginal tufts of lower row overlapping upper but central tufts shorter, glabrous, shining elsewhere; lemma lobes 8-9.8 mm long, tapering to long conspicuous awns, adaxially with scattered short hairs and two thick longer tufts near awn sinus. Central awn 12.8-15 mm long; column 4 mm long, much > upper lemma hairs. Palea 3.3-4 mm long, obovate-oblong, broad and rounded across top, < upper lemma hairs, hairs few, very short at base between keels, margins with 1-2 long fine hairs. Callus 0.8-1 mm long with thick marginal hair tufts overlapping lower lemma hairs. Rhachilla 0.1 mm long. Anthers 0.4, and 0.7-0.9 mm long. Caryopsis c. 1.5 mm long; embryo 0.6 mm long; hilum 0.5 mm long. Naturalised in New Zealand from Australia.

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