Rytidosperma pulchrum (Zotov) Connor & Edgar
≡Notodanthonia pulchra Zotov, N.Z. J. Bot. 1: 111 (1963);
Holotype: CHR 42376! V. D. Zotov Waikamaka River, c. 3500 ft, Ruahine Mts, river terrace in light Nothofagus cliffortioides forest, 4.1.1944.
Small dense tufts, or often open, with tufts of leaves at ends of elongating shoots, rooting at nodes; leaves somewhat acute, « culms, disarticulating at ligule; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath pale stramineous to light brown, occasionally purplish, glabrous; apical tuft of few hairs, sometimes 0, up to c. 1.5 mm. Ligule to c. 0.5 mm. Leaf-blade to 10 cm, folded, narrow, rather soft, glabrous, rarely with a few hairs. Culm to 30 cm, internodes glabrous. Panicle small, to 5 cm, of few spikelets on very slender pedicels; rachis and pedicels closely short-scabrid, a few long hairs at branch axils and occasionally 1-2 below spikelets. Spikelets 3-(5)-flowered, awns exserted from glumes. Glumes blackish centrally, ovate to occasionally ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, (5)-6-7.5-(8) mm, ± equal; lower 5-nerved, upper 3-nerved. Lemma (1.8)-2-2.6 mm, 5-(7)-nerved, upper and lower rows of hairs continuous or occasionally upper row hairs fewer, upper hairs slightly < lemma lobes, lower row overlapping upper, elsewhere glabrous, some few hairs along margins; lobes (0.5)-1.8-2.8 mm, usually awn-tipped; central awn 3-4.5 mm, column 0.5-1 mm, hardly twisting, ≈ palea, < upper lemma hairs. Palea 3-3.8 mm, ≤ upper lemma hairs, interkeel glabrous, margins sometimes with a few long hairs. Callus 0.2-0.4 mm, a few marginal hairs overlapping lower lemma hairs. Rachilla 0.5-0.8 mm. Anthers 0.5-1.1-(1.4) mm. Caryopsis 1.2-1.4 × 0.5-0.7 mm; embryo 0.6-0.7 mm; hilum 0.3 mm. Plate 12D.
N.: Mt Egmont, central mountains, and Tararua Range; S.: north-west Nelson (Haupiri Bog and Adelaine Tarn, Douglas Range). Boggy places in subalpine and alpine zones.
Endemic.
