Australopyrum retrofractum (Vickery) Á.Löve

Leaf-sheath 4–5 cm, coarsely pilose with long dense retrorse or mixed hairs, striate. Auricles 1.0 mm, clasping, glabrous. Ligule 1.5 mm, erose, glabrous. Collar white, margin sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade 3–6 cm × 2 mm, rough, hairs coarse long (0.5 mm) and shorter, margin long-hairy, prow-tipped. Culm 10–25 cm, internodes glabrous, nodes evident some geniculate, inflorescence node with long soft hairs. Inflorescence a spikelike raceme 2–5 cm, spikelets c. 6, rachis retrorse hairy on margin, elsewhere hairs mixed, internodes c. 2 mm. Spikelets to 15 mm, florets 4–8, ± appressed broadside to rachis; pedicel 0.5 mm, hairy. Glumes ± unequal, 6–8 mm, nerves 1–3, indurate, shining, glabrous, becoming reflexed, swollen at base, awn-like above, linear triangular, asymmetrical, adaxially with short white hairs, margins chartaceous. Lemma 7.5–10 mm, narrowing into glabrous shining indurate awn ± 4 mm, keeled, ± glabrous or with scattered prickle-teeth, adaxially with short white hairs above, margin chartaceous. Palea 5–6 mm, denticles long and stout on upper keels, interkeel with few short white hairs. Callus 0.15 mm, broad, disarticulation flat. Rachilla 0.75 mm, finely short stiff hairy. Lodicules 0.7–0.8 mm, hairy. Anthers 0.7–1.5 mm. Gynoecium: ovary 1.0 mm; stigma-styles 2–2.5 mm. Caryopsis c. 4 mm; embryo 0.6 mm; hilum = caryopsis.

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