Rytidosperma tenuius (Steud.) A.Hansen & Sunding

Grey-green or greyish purple, coarse erect tussocks, occasionally shortly rhizomatous; leaves » culms; branching intra- and extravaginal. Leaf-sheath white or sometimes greyish, sometimes with few scattered fine hairs above; apical tuft of hairs 1–2–(3) mm. Ligule 0.1–0.4–(0.6) mm. Leaf-blade to 35 cm, flattish, becoming inrolled, to 3 mm wide, sometimes with scattered hairs, margins sparsely scabrid. Culm stout, to 1 m, internodes smooth, minutely scabrid below inflorescence. Panicle large, strict, to 15 cm, of many spikelets on ± rigid pedicels; rachis and pedicels closely short-scabrid, often longer hairs intermixed. Spikelets 5–6–(7)-flowered, awns included by or exserted from glumes. Glumes usually broad, purple-margined, lanceolate, subacute, (12)–15–17–(19) mm, ± equal, both 7-nerved. Lemma 2.5–3 mm, 9-nerved, upper and lower rows of hairs very dense, upper row < lemma lobes and much overlapped by lower, glabrous elsewhere, occasional hairs centrally and on margins; lobes (6.3)–7–9 mm, narrowed to fine awn; central awn (8.5)–10–14 mm, column 1–2.5 mm < upper lemma hairs. Palea 3.5–4.5 mm, < upper lemma hairs, interkeel hairs long, numerous, in lower ⅔, and on margins. Callus (0.8)–1–1.3 mm, marginal hair tufts overlapping lower lemma hairs. Rachilla c. 0.2 mm. Anthers 0.8–1.2 and 1.7–2.1 mm. Caryopsis 1.6–2 × 0.8 mm; embryo 0.7 mm; hilum 0.5 mm.

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