Ehrharta erecta Lam.

Loosely tufted, soft-leaved, sometimes sprawling perennials (20)–30–80–(140) cm, with rather weak culms sometimes rooting at lower nodes. Leaf-sheath finely striate, glabrous or shortly hairy. Ligule 1–4 mm, glabrous, lacerate. Collar hairs 1–2.0 mm. Leaf-blades 6–16 cm × 2–7.5–(12) mm, flat, rather thin, short, fine sometimes scattered hairs especially near margin, finely nerved but midrib obvious abaxially, margins finely scabrid or hairy, tip acute. Culms (15)–20–70 cm, usually ± procumbent at base and geniculate-ascending above, or erect, internodes glabrous. Inflorescence usually a rather narrowly branched panicle (5)–10–16 cm; branches and pedicels slender, smooth to finely pubescent-scabrid, pedicels finely hairy. Spikelets 3–4 mm, very pale green. Glumes < lemmas, unequal, membranous, ovate, subobtuse, smooth, tip minutely ciliate; lower 1.5–2 mm, 3–5-nerved, upper 2.2–2.7 mm, 5-nerved. Lemmas of Ø florets (2.5)–3–3.5 mm, coriaceous, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, awnless, faintly 5-nerved, glabrous; lower Ø lemma < upper, usually smooth rarely transversely rugose near tip, shining; upper Ø lemma transversely rugose above and with a thick basal hinge-like appendage. Lemma of ☿ floret 2.5–3.2 mm, faintly 7-nerved, subcoriaceous, ovate, obtuse, awnless, glabrous. Palea 2.5 mm, hyaline, glabrous, 2-nerved. Lodicules 0.5–0.7 mm, nerved, glabrous. Stamens 6; anthers 0.7–1.2 mm. Gynoecium: ovary 0.5 mm; stigma-styles 1.5 mm. Caryopsis 2–2.7 ×c. 1 mm.

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