Chionochloa antarctica (Hook.f.) Zotov

Tall, slender, often peat-stained, pale tussock with pungent leaves often spirally twisting above and deciduous. Leaf-sheath to 20 cm, dark above, pale shining below, persistent, glabrous though often with many very short hairs between ribs. Ligule to 2 mm. Leaf-blades to 30 cm × 6 mm, flat or U-shaped, disarticulating at ligule, abaxially many glabrous ribs, adaxially below with interlocking hairs from near margins, abundant papillae above; margin glabrous. Culm to 1 m, internodes glabrous. Inflorescence to 15 cm, congested, ± triangular, glabrous except for long hairs at branch axils and below spikelets. Spikelets of up to 7 lightly purpled florets. Glumes sometimes purpled, acute or shortly awned, < adjacent lemma lobes; lower to 12 mm, 1-nerved or shortly 3-nerved, upper to 15 mm, 3–5-nerved, margin consistently long hairy below otherwise glabrous. Lemma to 8 mm; hairs dense at margin and aside central nerve, sometimes in other internerves but then fewer, ± reaching sinus; lateral lobes to 7 mm including awn to 3 mm or long triangular-acute; central awn to 20 mm reflexed from flat column up to 3 mm. Palea to 10 mm. Callus to 1 mm, hairs to 3 mm. Rachilla to 1 mm. Lodicules to 0.75 mm. Anthers to 3.5 mm. Gynoecium: ovary to 0.75 mm; stigma-styles to 4 mm. Caryopsis to 2.5 mm. 2n= 42. Plate 1A.

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