Tufts leafy, bright green, sometimes stoloniferous with prostrate culms rooting and sending up new tufts; leaves about ½ length of culms; new shoots extravaginal. Sheaths light brown often purpled, with scattered soft fine hairs towards collar or sometimes throughout, or quite glabrous; collar hairs (2)-3-4-(6) mm long; ligule (0.2)-0.4-0.7-(1) mm long; lamina up to 25-(50) cm long, flat with ± inrolled margins, 2-(4) mm wide, or completely inrolled, glabrous or often with a few scattered long hairs near collar, sometimes almost all leaves with some long hairs throughout, margins finely scabrous. Culms up to 50-(75) cm tall, glabrous, minutely scabrous below inflorescence. Panicle erect to ± loose and drooping from above, up to 10—(14) cm long with numerous spikelets on short pedicels; rhachis and pedicels densely short-scabrous, occasionally with 1-2 longer hairs at branch axils. Spikelets 3-4-(6)- flowered, exserted from glumes. Glumes sometimes variously purpled, lanceolate, acute to acuminate, ± equal, 7—10—(12) mm long, lower 5-7-nerved, upper (3)-5-nerved. Lemma 1.6-2.8 mm long, 9-nerved, upper row of hairs continuous, ± = lemma lobes, lower row not always well-defined and not reaching upper, elsewhere covered with numerous short hairs; lemma lobes 2.5-4.5 mm long, finely short-awned at tip. Central awn 4.5-8.5-(9) mm long; column 0.5—1.2 mm long, barely = or much < palea, much < upper lemma hairs. Palea 2.5-4 mm long, much < upper lemma hairs, some hairs between keels, margins long-hairy. Callus 0.3-0.5 mm long, with marginal tufts not reaching lower lemma hairs or scarcely overlapping them. Rhachilla 0.6-1 mm long, often with minute hairs at top. Anthers 0.5- 1.3 mm long. Caryopsis 0.9-1.4 × 0.5-0.8 mm; embryo 0.4-0.6 mm long; hilum 0.2-0.3 mm long. Native to New Zealand; also in Tasmania.

2n = 24

2n = 24

n = 12

Tufts leafy, bright green, sometimes stoloniferous with prostrate culms rooting and sending up new tufts; leaves about ½ length of culms; branching extravaginal. Leaf-sheath light brown often purplish, scattered soft fine hairs towards collar or sometimes throughout, or quite glabrous; apical tuft of hairs (2)-3-4-(6) mm. Ligule (0.2)-0.4-0.7-(1) mm. Leaf-blade up to 25-(50) cm, flat with ± inrolled margins, 2-(4) mm wide, or completely inrolled, glabrous or often a few scattered long hairs near collar, sometimes almost all leaves with some long hairs throughout, margins finely scabrid. Culm to 50-(75) cm, internodes smooth but minutely scabrid below inflorescence. Panicle erect to ± loose and drooping from above, to 10-(14) cm, spikelets numerous on short pedicels; rachis and pedicels densely short-scabrid, occasionally with 1-2 longer hairs at branch axils. Spikelets 3-4-(6)-flowered, awns exserted from glumes. Glumes sometimes variously purple-tinged, lanceolate, acute to acuminate, 7-10-(12) mm; lower 5-7-nerved, upper (3)-5-nerved. Lemma 1.6-2.8 mm, 9-nerved, upper row of hairs continuous, ≈ lemma lobes, lower row not always well-defined and not reaching upper, elsewhere covered in numerous short hairs; lobes 2.5-4.5 mm, finely short-awned at tip; central awn 4.5-8.5-(9) mm, column 0.5-1.2 mm ≤ palea, « upper lemma hairs. Palea 2.5-4 mm, « upper lemma hairs, interkeel hairs few, margins long-hairy. Callus 0.3-0.5 mm, marginal hair tufts not reaching lower lemma hairs or scarcely overlapping them. Rachilla 0.4-1 mm, often with minute hairs at apex. Anthers 0.5-1.3 mm. Caryopsis 0.9-1.4 × 0.5-0.8 mm; embryo 0.4-0.6 mm; hilum 0.2-0.3 mm. 2n= 24. Plate 12I.