Bromus catharticus Vahl

Coarse green to yellowish green perennial tufts, 30–120 cm, with heavy panicles. Leaf-sheath keeled above, lower sheaths with fine, silky hairs, the hairs more scattered in upper sheaths. Ligule 3–5 mm, ± tapered, denticulate. Leaf-blade 15–40 cm × 8–15 mm, abaxially smooth, or minutely scabrid on ribs, adaxially with scattered fine hairs; margins finely scabrid, tip acute to acuminate. Culm stout, ascending to erect, internodes glabrous. Panicle 15–35 cm, erect or nodding above, pyramidal with scabrid branches in threes or pairs from the distant nodes; lower branches ascending, horizontal or sometimes drooping, upper branches ascending to erect. Spikelets 2.5–4 cm, 5–9-flowered, elliptic-oblong to ± cuneate, light green, sometimes purple-suffused. Glumes ± unequal, subacute to acute, keel minutely scabrid; lower 10–14 mm, 5–7-nerved, upper c. 15 mm, 9-nerved. Lemma 17–23 mm, 9–13-nerved, keeled, nerves scabrid, internerves smooth to slightly scabrid; awn 0.5–4–(5) mm. Palea c. ⅔ length of lemma or shorter. Callus with minute hairs. Rachilla scabrid or sparsely minutely pubescent. Anthers 0.5–1 mm in cleistogamous flowers, c. 4.5 mm in chasmogamous flowers. Caryopsis 7.1–7.2 × 1.5–2.2 mm. Fig. 12.

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