Austrostipa verticillata (Nees ex Spreng.) S.W.L.Jacobs & J.Everett

Stout caespitose or shortly rhizomatous erect perennial, prolifically branching at nodes; branching extravaginal; cataphylls numerous. Leaf-sheath to 10 cm, short hairs below, glabrous above, terminating in a short tuft of hairs. Ligule to 2 mm, erose, truncate. Collar curved. Leaf-blade to 60 cm × 4 mm, flat, abaxially and on margin antrorsely scabrid, adaxially antrorsely scabrid or with long hairs. Culm to 2 m, bambusiform, internodes glabrous, nodes brown, rough. Panicle to 50 cm, subverticillate; branches ascending-spreading; rachis smooth below, scabrid above, branches and pedicels scabrid. Glumes equal, 3–4 mm, narrow, ≈ lemma, green-suffused, spreading at maturity, acuminate, sometimes shortly awned but mostly erose, 3-nerved, nerves scabrid, < awn column. Lemma 3 mm, becoming dark brown at maturity, clothed in long white appressed hairs but tubercular-scabrid beneath and at apex, lobes minute; awn to 35 mm, 1-geniculate or sometimes straight, short stiff hairy, column straight, scabrid, 7–12 mm, arista to 25 mm. Palea 1–1.5 mm, ligulate, c. ½ length of lemma, nerves with a few scattered hairs or glabrous, internerve darker, apex ciliolate. Callus to 0.2 mm, short, blunt and rounded, loosely clothed in short white hairs to 0.5 mm. Lodicules 2, to 1.3 mm, ligulate, ≈ palea. Anthers 3, penicillate and caudate, to 1.8 mm.

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