Classification
Class
Magnoliopsida Brongn.
Order
Poales Small
Family
Gramineae Juss.
Genus
Deschampsia P.Beauv.
 Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Deschampsia tenella Petrie, Trans. & Proc. New Zealand Inst. 23: 402 (1890 [1891])
Synonymy:
  • = Deschampsia tenella var. procera Petrie, Trans. New Zealand Inst. 33: 329 (1901)
Vernacular Name(s):
Hair-grass
 Description

Slender, smooth, leafy tufts, sometimes sward-forming, 9–35–(50) cm, with delicately branched shining panicles. Leaf-sheath membranous, broader than leaf-blade, rounded, sparsely strongly ribbed, light brown, sometimes purplish. Ligule 1–4 mm, tapered to acuminate tip. Leaf-blade (3)–5–15–(20) cm × 0.3–0.6 mm diam., involute, filiform, flaccid, smooth, tip minutely scabrid. Culm erect, or geniculate at base, green or purplish, usually overtopping leaves, internodes glabrous. Panicle (4)–10–(12) cm, very lax, branches few, filiform, erect to spreading, very sparsely minutely scabrid, naked below, tipped by 1-few spikelets. Spikelets 2–3–(4) mm, shining, hyaline to light green to brownish. Glumes unequal, < spikelet, ± keeled, sparsely minutely prickle-toothed on midnerve and margins near tip; lower 0.5–2 mm, 1-nerved, narrow- to oblong-lanceolate, acute, upper 1.2–2.5 mm, (1)–3-nerved, elliptic-lanceolate or elliptic-oblong, acute to obtuse. Lemma 1.5–2.5 mm, ovate-oblong, hyaline, shining, irregularly 3–4-toothed, awnless or awn subapical to 1–(1.5) mm. Palea ≤ lemma, apex shortly bifid, keels minutely scaberulous. Callus hairs 0.2–0.7–(1) mm, ± sparse to dense. Rachilla hairs c. 0.5 mm, silky, ± dense. Anthers 0.3–0.7–(1) mm. Caryopsis 1–1.5 × 0.3–0.5 mm. 2n= 26.

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

 Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
 Bibliography
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.N.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P.B.; Ladley, K. 2018: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 22. [Not Threatened]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Champion, P.D.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Norton, D.A.; Hitchmough, R.A. 2013: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 3. Department of Conservation, Wellington. [Not Threatened]
Petrie, D. 1901: Descriptions of New Native Plants. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute 33: 328–329.
Petrie, M. A. 1891 ("1890"): Descriptions of new native plants, with notes on some known species. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 23: 398–407.