Classification
 Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Chionochloa rigida (Raoul) Zotov, New Zealand J. Bot. 1: 96 (1963)
Synonymy:
  • Danthonia rigida Raoul, Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. sér. 3, 2: 116 (1844)
  • = Danthonia raoulii Steud. (1854)
  • = Danthonia flavescens Hook.f., Handb. New Zealand Fl. 332 (1864)
  • Danthonia raoulii var. flavescens (Hook.f.) Hack. in Cheeseman, Man. New Zealand Fl. 886 (1906)
Vernacular Name(s):
narrow-leaved snow tussock
 Description

Tall, stout, golden tussock with hairy fracturing sheaths and narrow, sweeping, long, deciduous leaves which form a dense litter. Leaf-sheath to 30 cm, dark brown below, keeled, interribs with abundant long and/or short hairs occasionally forming a contra-ligule, fragmenting into short segments, apical tuft of hairs to 2 mm. Ligule to 2 mm. Leaf-blade tough, flat or shallowly U-shaped, adaxially usually with dense weft of short or long hairs at base, abundant prickle-teeth above; margin thick, long hairy below; falling with part of sheath. Culm to 1.5 m, internodes infrequently long hairy; sheath hairy. Inflorescence open, pulvinate. Spikelets of up to 8 florets. Glumes glabrous, acute or very shortly awned, ≥ nearest lemma lobes; lower to 14 mm, 1–3-nerved, upper to 16 mm, 5–7-nerved, very occasionally long hairy on margin below. Lemma densely hairy on margin and in all internerves, hairs rarely absent, > sinus. Palea to 8.5 mm. Callus to 1.5 mm, hairs to 3.5 mm. Rachilla to 1.5 mm. Lodicules to 0.75 mm. Gynoecium: ovary to 1 mm; stigma-styles to 3 mm. Caryopsis to 3.5 mm. 2n= 42. Fig. 16.

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

 Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
Number of subspecific taxa in New Zealand within Chionochloa rigida (Raoul) Zotov
CategoryNumber
Indigenous (Endemic)2
Total2
 Bibliography
Cheeseman, T.F. 1906: Manual of the New Zealand Flora. Government Printer, Wellington.
Connor, H.E. 1991: Chionochloa Zotov (Gramineae) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 29: 219–283.
Hooker, J.D. 1864: Handbook of the New Zealand Flora: a systematic description of the native plants of New Zealand and the Chatham, Kermadec's, Lord Auckland's, Campbell's and Macquarie's Islands. Part I. Reeve, London.
Raoul, E. 1844: Choix de plantes de la Nouvelle-Zélande. Recueillies et décrites par M.E. Raoul. Annales des Sciences Naturelles; Botanique sér. 3, 2: 113–123.
Zotov, V.D. 1963: Synopsis of the grass subfamily Arundinoideae in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 1: 78–136.