Flora of New Zealand Series

; Holotype: CHR 7509! V. D. Zotov West of Kime Hut, c. 4500 ft, Tararua Mts, 31.12.1933.

Laxly tufted, ± robust. Leaf-sheath ± striate, glabrous. Ligule 1-2 mm, long ciliate, abaxially hairy, chartaceous, scarious. Collar thick, glabrous. Leaf-blade 20-40 cm × 6-12 mm, tapered, abaxially glabrous, adaxially prickle-toothed on prominent rounded ribs; margins finely toothed. Culm 30-60 cm, internodes glabrous. Panicle 10-20 cm, lax, spreading; branches 1-2 at each node, naked below, glabrous, ± slender and often drooping, spikelets few towards tip; pedicels to 10 mm, scabrid to villous above. Glumes subequal, ovate, acute, membranous, scarious, glabrous, 3-nerved; upper glume 6-7.5 mm. Florets included by glumes, ± glistening coppery at maturity. ♂ florets: lemma 4-6.5 mm, lobes 0.5-1 mm, erose, tip scarious, scabrid, appressed long hairs on keel to sinus, margins densely long-ciliate; awns 2-6 mm, slender, ± straight, insertion c. 1 mm below apex; palea 3-4 mm, membranous, keels ciliate; lodicules c. 1 mm, ± ovate, acute, irregularly 1-2-lobed, glabrous; anthers (1)-1.5 mm. ⚥ floret: lemma 3-3.5 mm, ovate, glabrous and shining, apex with conspicuous long hispid hairs; mucro slender, 0.6-1.5 mm, subapical, ≈ hairs; palea ≈ lemma, ovate-lanceolate, apex pointed ciliate, keel ciliate above; lodicules 0.6-1 mm, glabrous; anthers 0.9-1.6 mm; gynoecium: ovary c. 1 mm, stigma-styles c. 3.5 mm; caryopsis 1.5-1.8 × 0.7 -0.9 mm, shortly beaked, embryo 0.5 mm, hilum c. 0.5 mm.

N.: Mt Egmont, Ruahine and Tararua Ranges; S.: along main divide and to west, southwards from Arthurs Pass, Canterbury. Alpine.

Endemic.

Anthers are apiculate and in some anthers fine processes < 0.1 mm are extensions; it is difficult to find these processes at all times.