Imperata cylindrica var. major (Nees) C.E.Hubb.

Forming loose or compact tufts or colonies from long-creeping, tough, scaly rhizomes c. 3 mm diam. Leaf-sheath light brown, sometimes purplish, glabrous or with scattered fine hairs above, shredding into stiff fibres at maturity. Ligule c. 1.5 mm, truncate, ciliate. Leaf-blade to 1 m × 4–10 mm, often > culms, linear from pseudopetiolate base, glabrous; margins scabrid, tip acuminate. Culm 20–50 cm, upper nodes villous, hairs fine, to 6 mm, internodes glabrous. Panicle 9–15 ×c. 2 cm, dense, spiciform, silky white, shining; branches very numerous, very slender, erect, ± appressed to rachis; pedicels with some long fine hairs below spikelets. Spikelets c. 4 mm, enveloped by hairs 9–14 mm. Glumes = spikelets, brownish, 3–7-nerved. Lemmas and palea < glumes, hyaline, often denticulate, tips ciliate. Stamens 2; anthers 2–3 mm, orange or brownish. Stigmas purple or brown. Caryopsis not seen.

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