Bromus brevis Nees

Short, light green, rather stiffly erect, narrow-leaved perennial tufts, 30–75 cm. Leaf-sheath keeled above, ± densely hairy with long, soft hairs, sometimes reddish purple at base. Ligule 1.5–2.5 mm, denticulate, abaxially with long hairs near margins in lower ½. Leaf-blade 9–20 cm × 1.5–4.5 mm, with scattered to dense, long, soft, fine hairs; margins finely scabrid, tip fine, acute. Culm erect, internodes glabrous. Panicle 8–15 cm; branches ± compressed, erect, minutely hairy on angles. Spikelets 1–2 cm, narrow-oblong, light yellowish green. Glumes ± unequal, acute to acuminate, glabrous or sometimes with scattered short hairs, keel ciliate-scabrid; lower c. 4–4.5 mm, 3–5-nerved, upper 5–6 mm, 7-nerved. Lemma 8.5–10 mm, 7–9-nerved, keeled, with very short, silky, scattered, appressed hairs in upper ⅔, acute or shortly mucronate or with very short awn 0.5–0.8 mm. Palea ⅔ length of lemma and much narrower. Callus almost glabrous, with a few, very minute hairs. Rachilla with very short hairs. Anthers 0.2–0.5 mm in cleistogamous flowers, 1.5 mm in chasmogamous flowers. Caryopsis c. 6 × 2 mm.

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