Rytidosperma viride (Zotov) Connor & Edgar

Stiff, rather dark purple-green tussocks; leaves semi-pungent, somewhat < culms, disarticulating at ligule; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath pale stramineous below, purplish above, usually glabrous or with some scattered long hairs; apical tuft of hairs 3–4–(6) mm. Ligule (0.2)–0.8–1.5 mm. Leaf-blade to 35 cm, stiff, inrolled, glabrous or occasionally scattered long hairs, margins often scabrid above ligule and near tip. Culm to 45–(55) cm, internodes smooth or sometimes fine-scabrid below inflorescence. Panicle ± erect, to 10 cm, of few large spikelets on very slender pedicels; rachis and pedicels closely short-scabrid with some long hairs occasionally at branch axils. Spikelets 3–4–(5)-flowered, awns exserted from glumes. Glumes blackish purple centrally, linear-lanceolate, subobtuse, (6)–8–12 mm, ± equal; lower 5–(7)-nerved, upper 3–(5)-nerved. Lemma 2.5–3 mm, 9-nerved, upper and lower rows of hairs very dense and continuous, upper row ≥ lemma lobes, lower row overlapping upper, shorter hairs scattered elsewhere; lobes (3.7)–4–4.7 mm, tapering to fine awn; central awn 8–11 mm, column 1–1.5 mm, ≈ palea, < upper lemma hairs. Palea 3.5–4.5 mm, reaching about ½ way up upper lemma hairs, long hairs on interkeel below and on margins. Callus c. 0.5 mm, marginal hair tufts long, abundant, much overlapping lower lemma hairs. Rachilla 0.7–1 mm. Anthers (0.8)–1–1.5–(2) mm. Caryopsis 1.4–1.7 × 0.6–0.7 mm; embryo 0.5–0.8 mm; hilum 0.3 mm. Plate 11F.

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