Agrostis stolonifera L.

Perennial tufts of variable habit, to c. 100 cm, spreading by long stolons, sometimes low-growing and trailing, or turf-forming, sometimes loosely or densely tufted; branching intra- and/or extravaginal, the intravaginal shoots often trailing and elongating as stolons or sometimes erect, the extravaginal shoots at once ascending with 2–3 scale leaves at base. Leaf-sheath smooth or slightly scabrid, green or purple-tinged. Ligule (1)–2–6 mm, rounded, fimbriate, taller than wide. Leaf-blade 1–20 cm ×c. 1–8 mm, flat, minutely scabrid on ribs, tip acute. Culm geniculate to rarely erect, or trailing and branching, rooting at lower nodes, internodes glabrous. Panicle 3–28 × 0.5–2.5–(6) cm, lanceolate to ovate, lax at flowering, later ± contracted with branches ± erect and appressed to rachis; rachis smooth, branches and pedicels scabrid. Spikelets 1.5–2.5–(3) mm, greenish or yellowish, becoming brownish or purplish. Glumes ± unequal, elliptic-lanceolate, sometimes slightly scabrid above, acute to acuminate, midnerve scabrid above. Lemma 1.3–2 mm, ± truncate, smooth to ± scabrid below, 5-nerved, nerves sometimes scabrid, outer lateral nerves usually slightly excurrent, apex minutely lobed above inner lateral nerves, midnerve not reaching lemma apex, usually terminating as an extremely minute projection in upper ⅓ of lemma, or midnerve rarely produced as a short, subterminal awn. Palea usually ½ to ⅔ length of lemma, apex usually obtuse, rarely shallowly notched. Callus glabrous or with very few minute hairs. Anthers 0.9–1.5 mm. Caryopsis c. 1 × 0.4 mm. Plate 2B.

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