Anthoxanthum aristatum Boiss.

Annuals, 9–20 cm, with culms often much-branched near base, faintly coumarin-scented. Leaf-sheath submembranous, strongly ribbed, sometimes sparsely villous above. Collar hairs long, in small lateral tufts. Ligule 0.7–2 mm, glabrous, tapering, becoming erose. Leaf-blade 1–5.5 cm × 1–2.5 mm, thin, scabrid, sometimes sparsely hairy, tip narrow, subacute. Culm erect or spreading, branched, almost filiform, internodes glabrous. Panicle 1.5–2.4 × 0.5–1.2 cm, ovate- or lanceolate-oblong, rather lax or more dense, with few to numerous spikelets; rachis glabrous, branches and pedicels very short, scabrid or minutely hairy. Spikelets 5.5–7 mm, green or brownish green. Glumes glabrous, acute to acuminate, keels green, thickened, sparsely scabrid; lower ½-⅔ length of upper, 1-nerved, ovate, upper > florets and enclosing them, 3-nerved, elliptic-ovate. Ø florets: lemma 2.6–3.5 mm, 4–5-nerved, oblong, firmer and brown below with rather stiff silky hairs, apex glabrous, hyaline, bilobed, or entire and shortly toothed; awn of lower floret 3.6–4.6 mm, fine, ± straight, inserted above midpoint, awn of second floret 7–8.8 mm, stouter, geniculate, inserted near base, dark brown in lower ½, projecting beyond spikelet; palea 0 in both florets. ☿ floret: lemma 1.5–1.8 mm, 5-nerved, firmly membranous, orbicular, brown, shining, glabrous; palea = lemma; anthers c. 3 mm; caryopsis 1.1–1.3 × 0.6–0.7 mm.

[From: Edgar and Connor (2000) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 5 (second printing).]