Weak tufts, (7)–20–40 cm, stoloniferous, with decumbent culms rooting at lower nodes, erect or floating above; branching extravaginal. Leaf-sheath chartaceous, smooth, or scabrid, especially towards ligule, uppermost sheaths often scabrid throughout. Ligule 1.5–4.5–(5) mm, long-tapered, acute, entire, becoming lacerate, abaxially smooth or sparsely, minutely scabrid. Leaf-blade 5.5–12.5 cm × (0.6)–1–3 mm, flat, or inrolled, papillose-scabrid, abaxially shallowly ribbed, adaxially more obviously ribbed; margins minutely scabrid, tip acute. Culm internodes smooth, sometimes scabrid just below nodes. Panicle 6.5–13 cm, ± erect, enclosed below by uppermost leaf-sheath; branches and pedicels filiform, scabrid. Spikelets 15–25 mm, 3–6-flowered, pale green; florets chasmogamous and cleistogamous within the same spikelet. Glumes unequal, glabrous, obtuse, margins ciliate-scabrid; lower 2–3.3 mm, 1-nerved, narrow-lanceolate, upper (2.2)–3.5–4 mm, 3-nerved, ± ovate-lanceolate. Lemma (4)–4.5–5.5 mm, 7-nerved, firm, green central portion sparsely scabrid, smooth near base, hyaline margin very wide, finely minutely hairy or scabrid; lemma lobes 2, obtuse; awn 7.5–18 mm, stout, straight, arising from near midpoint of lemma. Palea < lemma, keels densely stiff-ciliate, interkeel glabrous. Callus with ring of fine hairs < 1 mm. Rachilla prolongation 1.5–1.8 mm, hairy above. Anthers in chasmogamous florets 1.4–1.7 mm; in cleistogamous florets 0.4–0.5–(0.8) mm. Caryopsis 1.5–2 × 0.5–0.7 mm.
[From: Edgar and Connor (2000) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 5 (second printing).]