Holcus mollis L.

Strongly rhizomatous, dull bluish green perennials, 15–100 cm, forming loose swards. Leaf-sheath chartaceous, striate, glabrous or shortly pubescent with some longer hairs. Ligule 1–3 mm, ± truncate, denticulate, abaxially shortly pubescent. Leaf-blade 5–17 cm × 2–9 mm, rather stiff, shortly pubescent-scabrid, sometimes with scattered longer hairs or almost glabrous; margins minutely scabrid, tip acute. Culm erect or spreading, often decumbent, nodes loosely to densely bearded, internodes glabrous. Panicle (1)–4–10–(16) × (0.5)–1–2 cm, narrow-oblong or lanceolate, dense to rather lax, erect; rachis with ± sparse minute hairs, branches and very slender pedicels with slightly longer hairs. Spikelets 4–5.8 mm, whitish green, sometimes purplish. Glumes shortly stiff-ciliate on keel, minutely scabrid elsewhere, acute to acuminate; lower slightly shorter, narrow-lanceolate, upper elliptic-lanceolate with strong lateral nerves. Lemma 1–2.5 mm, elliptic- to ovate-lanceolate, with a few prickle-teeth on and near keel or scattered above, otherwise glabrous, ± shining, margins minutely ciliate-scabrid; lower lemma awnless, upper lemma with slightly curved awn, 3–5 mm, inserted c. 0.5 mm below lemma apex, sometimes twisted near base. Palea keels short-ciliate, apex obtusely lobed, short-ciliate. Callus hairs 0.2–0.3 mm, or callus of lower floret glabrous. Rachilla sparsely soft-hairy, hairs to 0.6 mm. Anthers (1)–1.5–2.2 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.7 mm.

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