Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Deyeuxia billardierei var. tenuis Cheeseman Man. N.Z. Fl. 870  (1906)

≡D. tenuis (Cheeseman) Zotov, Rec. Dom. Mus. 5: 139 (1965); 

Holotype: WELT 77014 a! H. J. Matthews Catlins River, Clutha Co., Otago, on coast, March 1896 (No 1148 to Hackel).

Stiff, leafy tufts 18-36 cm, with narrow ± inrolled leaves and lax panicles; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath subcoriaceous, ± obviously ribbed, glabrous, light brown. Ligule 1-3.2 mm, truncate, erose, minutely ciliate, abaxially scabrid. Leaf-blade 2-12 cm × 0.3-0.9 mm diam., inrolled, abaxially smooth, sometimes scabrid near tip, adaxially ribbed and short-scabrid on ribs, margins smooth, tip obtuse. Culm 5-20 cm, usually included within uppermost leaf-sheath, internodes densely, finely scabrid below panicle. Panicle (3)-6-12 × 2-8-(12) cm, delicate; branches fine, scabrid, erect to spreading, bearing spikelets at tips. Spikelets 3-5 mm, light green to light brown. Glumes 1-(3)-nerved, elliptic-lanceolate, ± acuminate, strongly keeled, keel finely scabrid in upper ½-⅔. Lemma 3-4.2 mm, ≈ glumes, firmly membranous, glabrous, papillose-scabrid, elliptic-lanceolate, lateral nerves sharply excurrent to c. 1 mm; central awn 3.5-6.5 mm, geniculate, from lower ⅓ of lemma. Palea 2.5-3 mm, c. ⅔ length of lemma, lanceolate, apex bifid, keels scabrid, margins submembranous, scabrid near apex. Callus hairs ± dense, very short, 0.3-0.8 mm, c. ¼ length of lemma. Rachilla prolongation1.5-2.5 mm, with very short hairs throughout except sometimes near tip, rarely completely glabrous. Lodicules 0.7-1 mm, lanceolate, acute. Anthers (0.5)-0.7-0.9 mm. Caryopsis 1.4-1.6 × 0.5-0.7 mm.

S.: Canterbury near Christchurch (South Brighton, Teddington), and on south eastern coast from Otago Peninsula to Bluff; St. Coastal slopes, and at sea level in salt marsh or tidal ground.

Endemic.