Austroderia splendens (Connor) N.P.Barker & H.P.Linder

Exceedingly tall, stout tussock with long rhizomes in sand hills and extravaginal branching. Leaf-sheath clothed in long hairs or occasionally only at margins, pale green under heavy white epicuticular wax; contra-ligule present. Ligule to 3 mm. Leaf-blade to 3 m × 3–5 cm, flexible, abaxially glabrous except for prickle-teeth at apex, adaxially with dense weft of long hairs at base becoming fewer on midrib, minute hairs throughout; margins long hairy below becoming slightly scabrid with blunt teeth. Culm to 6 m, white shining, internodes scabrid. Inflorescence to 1 m, erect or nodding, dense, shining, plumose; rachis scabrid below becoming shortly, stiff hairy above, branches and pedicels short stiff hairy, long hairs at axils and below spikelets. Spikelets to 4 cm, of 2–3 florets. Glumes equal, to 40 mm, produced to awn-like apex, > florets; short stiff hairy on keel, prickle-toothed elsewhere. Lemma to 11 mm, 3-nerved, scabrid; lateral lobes to 7.5 mm including awn to 3 mm; hairs to 12 mm, radiating from lower ⅓; central awn to 30 mm. Palea to 9 mm, attenuate, apex scarcely produced, keels ciliate, interkeel and flanks scabrid above. Callus hairs to 4 mm. Rachilla to 1 mm. Lodicules to 0.75 mm, hair-fringed. Anthers of ☿ flowers to 6 mm, of ♀ flowers to 4 mm. Gynoecium: of ☿ flowers ovary to 0.7 mm, stigma-styles to 2 mm; of ♀ flowers ovary to 1 mm, stigma-styles to 4 mm. Caryopsis 4–5 mm; embryo to 1 mm; hilum to 2 mm. 2n= 90.

[From: Edgar and Connor (2000) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 5 as Cortaderia splendens Connor]