Chionochloa rigida (Raoul) Zotov subsp. rigida
Leaf-sheath to 30 cm. Leaf-blade to 80 cm × 7 mm, abaxially glaucous, very occasionally with a few hairs aside midrib at base; margin thick, long hairy below sometimes hairs interlocking across leaf-blade, becoming scabrid. Inflorescence to 30 cm, glabrous except for some long hairs at branch axils. Lemma to 6 mm; lateral lobes to 7.5 mm including awn to 3.5 mm, or long triangular-acute; central awn to 12 mm from twisting column to 4 mm. Anthers to 5 mm. Plate 10B.
S.: east of Main Divide from Banks Peninsula and Rakaia River to Southland. Grasslands to 1700 m.
In Otago and at Mt Cook the adaxial weft of hairs extends further up the leaf-blade than at other sites. Inflorescences are hairy on CHR 9963, 9899, 9333 Ben Lomond; CHR 262867a, Waimate; CHR 29290 Waikouaiti; CHR 20043 Lindis Pass; CHR 75113b, CHR 75116 Skipper Saddle.
Plants of C. rigida subsp. rigida with narrow leaves and of short stature may be confused with C. macra, but the sheath fracturing habit readily distinguishes them. Such plants may be found on sites of lowered fertility or inhospitable exposure as on the Ben Ohau Range (CHR 465773-465777 H. E. Connor 1968). Plants found in North Canterbury, Marlborough, and Buller resembling C. rigida are usually C. flavescens × C. rubra.
