Dichelachne crinita (L.f.) Hook.f.
≡Anthoxanthum crinitum L.f., Suppl. Pl. 13: 90 (1782)
≡Dichelachne forsteriana Trin. et Rupr., Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg VI, Sect. Nat. 5: 4 (1843) nom. superfl.
≡Deyeuxia crinita (L.f.) Zotov, T.R.S.N.Z. 73: 234 (1943)
≡Dichelachne crinita (L.f.) Hook.f. var. crinita (autonym Hackel in Cheeseman 1906 op. cit. p. 874);
Holotype: S (Herb. Bäck) n.v., Forster (fide Veldkamp 1974 op. cit. p. 10).
Light green, ± stout, moderately tall, extravaginal tufts or rosettes, leaves < ± nodding, narrow-plumed culms. Leaf-sheath light brown, with minute, soft, appressed, retrorse hairs. Ligule 0.5-1.5 mm, membranous, abaxially minutely scabrid, ± truncate, minutely ciliate, occasionally asymmetric. Leaf-blade to 40 cm × 1.5-5 mm, somewhat stiff, flat or slightly inrolled, gradually tapered, strongly ribbed, abaxially scabrid near tip, adaxially minutely scabrid on margins and ribs. Culm (30)-50-100-(120) cm, internodes glabrous or minutely scaberulous below panicle. Panicle 10-25 cm, erect, spike-like, light green to stramineous, densely branched, close-set erect branches hidden by spikelets pulled together by entwining awns; rachis, branchlets and pedicels closely short-scabrid; spikelets numerous, shining. Glumes very narrow, linear-lanceolate, silvery; lower 4.5-8-(9) mm, ≈ lemma, often shortly aristate, upper 5.5-8.5-(10) mm, ≥ lemma, tip acuminate. Lemma (4.5)-5-7-(8) mm, minutely scabrid, tip scarcely bifid; awn 20-30 mm, light green to purple, inserted 1.5-3 mm below lemma tip, column straight, awn ± falcate and twisted about once. Palea 3-5 mm, very narrow, keels minutely scabrid near ciliate tip. Callus hairs to 0.7 mm. Rachilla prolongation to 0.1 mm. Lodicules 0.5-0.7 mm, membranous, elliptic, acute, apically ciliate. Anthers 1-3, (0.7)-1.0-2.0 mm in chasmogamous flowers, 0.2-0.9 mm in cleistogamous flowers. Caryopsis 2.0-2.5 × 0.3-0.4 mm; embryo 0.3-0.4 mm; hilum 1.9-2.3 mm. 2 n = 70.
N.: throughout; S.: throughout but less common in Fiordland; St.; K., Three Kings Is, Ch. In open forest, scrub, grassland, and modified sites, in lowland and montane zones, and colonising depleted areas.
Indigenous.
Also in Australia and Pacific Is.
Many Australian plants referred to D. crinita have fine awns 40-50 mm, and slender lemmas 4-5 mm, compared to the stiffer awns, c. 30 mm, and stouter lemmas (4.5)-5-7-(8) mm, in N.Z. plants and in some Tasmanian specimens. The holotype of D. crinita (L.f.) Hook.f. is a N.Z. specimen; the longer-awned Australian plants which are found also in Tasmania, Norfolk Id, and Easter Id have received no further recognition by Jacobs et al. (1993 op. cit.). One plant with long awns is CHR 310050 S. Bowman, W. Versluys & E. McKenzie Waikumete Cemetery, Auckland, 16.12.1976; this may be a recent introduction from Australia.
CHR 402411 A. P. Druce Moawhango Valley, Kaimanawa Mts, 800 m, grassland, Feb. 1985, appears to be a form of D. crinita with narrow rolled leaves, florets with awn shorter than usual as also are callus hairs and rachilla.
