Polypogon viridis (Gouan) Breistr.

Perennials or annuals, 15–50–(90) cm, loosely tufted, often with creeping stolons rooting at nodes. Leaf-sheath chartaceous, striate, glabrous, greyish green. Ligule 1.5–5.5 mm, truncate, erose, ciliate, abaxially minutely scabrid. Leaf-blade 2.5–18 cm × 2–9 mm, linear-lanceolate, finely striate, scabrid, tip acute. Culm 9–50 cm, decumbent and rooting at lower nodes, internodes glabrous. Panicle 3–14 × 1–3–(5) cm, ± dense, oblong but much lobed, sometimes interrupted near base; rachis smooth, branches scabrid, with spikelets almost to base, pedicels densely scabrid, very short, disarticulating. Spikelets 1.5–1.9 mm, pale green or purplish, falling entire at maturity with portion of pedicel attached. Glumes equalling spikelet, 1-nerved, elliptic, entire, firmly membranous, scabrid, keel more prominent in upper ½, awnless. Lemma c. 1 mm, hyaline, broadly elliptic, glabrous, awnless, apex denticulate, minutely ciliate. Palea narrower than lemma, apex bifid, ciliate. Anthers 0.4–0.6 mm. Caryopsis 0.8–1 × 0.3–0.6 mm.

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