Secale cereale L. subsp. cereale

Annual or biennial tufts, (25)–50–150 cm. Leaf-sheath chartaceous, obviously striate, glabrous or very shortly pilose, with short auricles. Ligule 0.5–1.5 mm. Leaf-blade (5)–10–25 × 0.2–2 cm, minutely pubescent-scabrid throughout or abaxially glabrous, tapered above, margins scabrid, tip acute. Culm (20)–40–120 cm, erect, usually villous just below spike or glabrous throughout. Spike (4)–10–30 × 0.7–2 cm; rachis tough, non-disarticulating, flattened, margins densely hairy, longer tufts above overlapping proximate glume bases. Spikelets 2-flowered. Glumes 7–12.5 mm, narrow linear-lanceolate, sparsely scabrid, keel minutely ciliate-scabrid; awns 0.5–5.5 mm. Lemma 10–20 mm, firm, oblong-lanceolate, smooth or rarely minutely sparsely scabrid, keel and outer margin above pectinate-scabrid, inner margin sparsely scabrid above, adaxially finely hairy; awn 1.5–6.5 cm. Palea ≈ lemma, folded, keels with sparse prickle-teeth or smooth. Lodicules 3 mm, entire, long ciliate. Anthers 5–8 mm. Gynoecium: ovary 2 mm; stigma-styles to 4 mm. Caryopsis 6.5–7.5 ×c. 2.5 mm; embryo c. 1.25 mm.

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