- Taxon
- Gallery
- ≡ Agrostis ovata G.Forst., Fl. Ins. Austr. 40 (1786)
- ≡ Cinna ovata (G.Forst.) Kunth, Révis. Gramin. 67 (1829)
- = Echinopogon asper Trin., Fund. Agrost. (Trinius) 126 (1820) nom. superfl.
- = Echinopogon novae-zelandiae Gand., Bull.Soc.Bot.France 66: 300 (1919)
- = Echinopogon purpurascens Gand., Bull.Soc.Bot.France 66: 300 (1919)
Lax, bluish-green tufts to 140 cm, or solitary culms, from a slender creeping rhizome. Leaf-sheath closely appressed to culms, firmly membranous, striate, retrorsely scabrid or smooth, sometimes purplish. Ligule 0.5–2.7 mm, finely denticulate, abaxially glabrous. Leaf-blade (2.5)–5–12–(25) cm × (1.5)–2–7–(8.5) mm, slightly constricted at base and tapering gradually to acute tip, abaxially minutely retrorsely scabrid on ribs, adaxially scabrid or smooth, sometimes with scattered hairs; margins rather closely and finely scabrid. Culm decumbent and sometimes geniculate at base, erect above, upper internodes with scattered minute prickle-teeth and retrorsely scabrid below panicle, or all internodes smooth. Panicle 0.7–5.5 × 0.4–4.0 cm, ovate-globose to narrow-oblong with conspicuous bristling awns; rachis smooth, branches almost smooth, bearing a few scattered prickle-teeth. Spikelets 4–12–(20) mm, green or occasionally purplish. Glumes ≤ spikelet, lanceolate, acute, ± membranous, keel conspicuous, thickened, green-margined, ciliate. Lemma 3–4–(4.5) mm, 5-nerved, linear-lanceolate, finely scabrid above, apex minutely bilobed; awn (2.5)–3.5–9–(14) mm, stout, straight, finely scabrid. Palea ≤ lemma, keels and apex ciliate. Callus hairs 0.8–1.4 mm. Rachilla prolongation ⅓-½ length of palea, usually > 1 mm and hairy, or < 1 mm and glabrous. Lodicules minutely ciliate or glabrous. Anthers 0.9–1.5 mm. Ovary apex hairy. Caryopsis 1.5–2 × 0.6–0.8 mm. n = 21.
[From: Edgar and Connor (2000) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 5 (second printing).]