Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walter) Kuntze

Perennial, coarse, glaucous, almost glabrous tufts arising from a short woody rhizome and from long, trailing, tough, arching, compressed, angular stolons; stolons deeply furrowed along one edge and rooting at lower nodes; branching extravaginal from rhizome, culms branching intravaginally above. Leaf-sheath light green to later creamy brown, firm, papery, strongly folded, keeled, narrow membranous margin edged with long soft hairs just below collar. Ligule a densely ciliate rim, hairs c. 0.5 mm. Collar villous. Leaf-blade (3)–10–20 cm ×c. 2–4 mm diam., strongly folded, later flattened, firm, papery, linear, abaxially glabrous, adaxially with occasional long hairs; keel pronounced, narrow; margins often inrolled, somewhat thickened, smooth, but scabrid towards obtuse, almost truncate tip. Culm to 25 cm, nodes glabrous, compressed, internodes glabrous. Panicle 3.5–7 cm, spike-like, terminal, with 1–2 lateral, pedunculate panicles from axils of upper leaves, included within or shortly exserted from uppermost sheath; rachis erect or curved, stout, dorsally flattened and (1.5)–2–3.5 mm wide, bearing numerous, short, alternate, contiguous racemes on one side, often with depressions marking off internodes, disarticulating below each raceme at maturity; racemes bearing (1)–2–3–(5) spikelets, in hollows along 3-angled rachis; raceme-rachis scabrid-angled above and prolonged to a sharp point beside upper spikelet. Spikelets 4–5 mm, elliptic-lanceolate, acute or subacuminate, pale greenish, brownish or purplish; pedicels very reduced, stout. Glumes membranous, very dissimilar; lower 0.5–1 mm, nerveless, obtuse to truncate, glabrous, or apex ciliate, upper 3.5–5 mm, 7–9-nerved, acute, glabrous. Lower floret ♂: lemma = spikelet, 5–9-nerved, subcoriaceous, scabrid near apex; palea ≈ lemma, chartaceous, glabrous, keels rounded and thickened, margins hyaline; anthers 1.6–2.8 mm. Upper floret ☿: lemma 5-nerved, more lanceolate and more acute than lemma of lower floret; both lemma and palea scabrid in upper ½; anthers 2–2.5 mm; stigmas conspicuous, purplish; caryopsis not seen.

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