Classification
 Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Ehrharta villosa (L.f.) Schult. & Schult.f. (1830)
Synonymy:
  • Aira villosa L.f., Suppl. Pl. 109 (1781)
 Description

Strongly rhizomatous perennials to 200 cm, with very stout naked culms branched above and bearing few leaves reduced to sheaths at base and at lower nodes, leaves at upper nodes longer, with involute blades. Leaf-sheath glabrous, finely many-nerved, light brown or purplish. Ligule c. 1 mm, truncate with ciliate fringe. Collar thick, hairs to 2 mm. Leaf-blade to 16 cm, strongly involute, abaxially glabrous, adaxially strongly ribbed and finely pubescent-scabrid, narrowed to fine, semipungent tip. Culm to 2 m, nodes purplish to blackish, internodes glabrous. Panicle to 25 cm, narrow, erect, rather lax; rachis and short, filiform, flexuose branchlets glabrous, fascicled below; pedicels filiform, smooth, becoming sparsely scabrid above. Spikelets 10–15 mm, oblong, very pale greyish brown. Glumes subequal, ± enclosing spikelet, 10–14 mm, 5–7-nerved, sub-membranous, oblong, subacute, glabrous with margins ciliolate near tip. Lemmas of Ø florets similar in shape, 7-nerved, narrow-oblong, entire at base, coriaceous, densely villous, mucro to 2 mm; lower Ø lemma < upper, callus hairs to 3 mm; upper Ø lemma bearded on each side above the contracted base. Lemma of ☿ floret ≈ Ø lemma, 7-nerved, oblong, subcoriaceous, truncate, less villous than Ø lemmas. Palea 9 mm, membranous, glabrous. Lodicules c. 2 mm, glabrous. Stamens 6; anthers 6–8 mm. Gynoecium: ovary 1.0–1.3 mm; stigma-styles to 3.5 mm. Caryopsis c. 6.5 × 2.5 mm.

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

 Biostatus
Exotic
 Bibliography
Biosecurity New Zealand 2012: Regional Pest Management Strategies Database. http://www.biosecurityperformance.maf.govt.nz/
Biosecurity New Zealand 4 Aug 2011: Unwanted Organisms Register. http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests/registers/uor
Biosecurity New Zealand 2008: National Plant Pest Accord. MAF Biosecurity New Zealand, Wellington.
Howell, C. 2008: Consolidated list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. DOC Research & Development Series 292: 42.
Linnaeus, C. von, filius 1782 ("1781"): Supplementum Plantarum Systematis Vegetabilium. Orphanotrophe, Brunswig.
Ministry for Primary Industries 23 Feb 2017: Unwanted Organisms Register. Version 02.01.02. https://www1.maf.govt.nz/uor