Chionochloa conspicua (G.Forst.) Zotov

Elegant, tall, scabrid tussock of many flabellate sectors with drooping leaves tardily deciduous and much shorter than flowering culms; branching extravaginal with numerous cataphylls. Leaf-sheath to 20 cm, persistent, entire, becoming fibrous, strongly keeled and compressed, very dark brown below, straw above, apical tuft of hairs to 2 mm. Ligule to 1.5 mm. Leaf-blade to 75 cm × 7 mm, folded and strongly keeled, tardily disarticulating at ligule, many distinct ribs; abaxially becoming very scabrid above with many rows of prickle-teeth, adaxially glabrous or with weft of long hairs at base or with interlocking long hairs near margin becoming sparser and glabrous above; margin with long hairs below, becoming strongly scabrid. Culm to 2 m; nodes dark, conspicuous and severely constricted; internodes glabrous, com-pressed. Inflorescence to 35 cm, open, rachis smooth below becoming shortly stiff hairy on branches and pedicels, some long hairs at branch axils. Spikelets of up to 7 florets. Glumes to 9 mm, apex ciliate acute or shortly (1 mm) awned, sometimes bilobed, < adjacent lemma lobes, margin of upper or both often with long hairs below. Lemma to 6.5 mm, scabrid; hairs long at margin absent elsewhere or very occasional, < sinus; central awn to 12 mm reflexed from flat column to 1 mm. Palea to 7.5 mm. Callus to 1.5 mm, hairs to 4 mm. Rachilla to 0.75 mm, shortly stiff hairy or glabrous. Lodicules to 2 mm. Gynoecium: ovary to 1 mm; stigma-styles to 2.5 mm. Caryopsis to 3 mm. 2n= 42.

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