Rytidosperma pilosum (R.Br.) Connor & Edgar

Rather coarse, stiff, dense tufts, shortly rhizomatous; leaves « culms; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath pale, to light grey, glabrous or with scattered to dense hairs; apical tuft of hairs stiff, thick, to 2.5–(3.5) mm. Ligule 0.1–0.2 mm. Leaf-blade to 17 cm, rather harsh, grey-green, flat to inrolled, long stiff scattered hairs, margins closely scabrid. Culm stout, to 85 cm, internodes glabrous but minutely hairy below inflorescence. Panicle ± compact and broad to somewhat laxer, to 6 cm, of few large spikelets on short pedicels; rachis and pedicels rather sparsely, stiffly scabrid, with longer hair below spikelets and near branch axils. Spikelets 5–8-flowered, awns much exserted from glumes. Glumes pale, sometimes faintly purplish, lanceolate, subacute, ± equal, 8.5–12 mm, both 5–7-nerved, occasionally a few scattered hairs. Lemma (2)–3–4 mm, 9-nerved, upper row of hairs ≈ lemma, in a few isolated tufts, usually (0)–2–4 central tufts and 1–(2) denser marginal tufts, lower row dense and continuous, lower marginal tufts reaching or overlapping upper marginal tufts, elsewhere glabrous; lobes 7–10 mm, tapering to fine awns; central awn 12.5–15 mm, column 3–5 mm. Palea 2.5–3.7 mm, = upper marginal tufts, ≥ awn sinus, interkeel glabrous, margins glabrous or with a few long fine hairs. Callus 0.8–1 mm, thick marginal hair tufts overlapping lower lemma hairs. Rachilla 0.2–0.3 mm. Anthers c. 0.4 and 0.8–1.7 mm. Caryopsis 1.2–2 × 0.7–1 mm; embryo 0.5–0.9 mm; hilum 0.4–0.5 mm.

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