Chloris truncata R.Br.

Light green, wiry, stoloniferous perennials to 50 cm; widely spreading racemes of inflorescence conspicuous at maturity. Leaf-sheath keeled, chartaceous, light green to light brown. Ligule 0.2–0.4 mm, minutely ciliate. Collar glabrous, sometimes with minute (0.1–0.5 mm) hairs, rarely with a few long (1–5 mm) hairs. Leaf-blade 6.5–12 cm × 2–2.5 mm, folded, linear, ± scabrid near base, adaxially rarely with sparse long (0.8–5 mm) hairs; margins finely scabrid, tip curved. Culm 20–40 cm, unbranched. Racemes 4–11, spike-like, digitate, 10–17 cm × 2.5–3.5 mm, bunched together and ± erect at first, later spreading, lowest racemes almost horizontal; rachis slender, pubescent near base, minutely scabrid above, bearing close-set, shortly pedicelled, light greenish spikelets maturing dark brown, almost black. Glumes unequal, hyaline, 1-nerved, narrow-lanceolate, acute, smooth, midnerve sparsely scabrid; lower 1.2–1.9 mm, upper 3–3.8 mm, deeper purple, margins scabrid near apex. Spikelets 2–3-flowered. Basal ☿ floret: lemma 2.7–3.6 mm, 3-nerved, sparsely, minutely scabrid, lateral nerves with short stiff hairs, callus hairs long, stiff, apex notched, bilobed, awn from notch 6.5–14 mm, slender, straight, scabrid, purple; palea 2.2–2.8 mm, narrow, entire, keels ciliate; anthers 0.5–0.8 mm, purple; gynoecium with ovary 0.4–0.5 mm, stigma-styles 1.2–1.5 mm; caryopsis 1.5–1.9 × 0.3–0.5 mm. Median floret: lemma 1.5–2.5 mm, 3–(5)-nerved, glabrous, truncate, awn c. 12 mm; palea shorter and much narrower; anthers when present, 0.5 mm, polliniferous. Apical Ø floret when present: lemma c. 1 mm, 3-nerved, truncate, always barren, awn 2.5–3.5 mm; rachilla glabrous, 0.5–0.8 mm.

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