Flora of New Zealand Series

; Holotype: CHR 174585! L. B. Moore Mt Watson, Paparoa Range, Westland, scrubby slope just below top c. 3600 ft, 14.1.67.

Leaf-sheath to 20 cm, purpled, internerves and margins hairy. Leaf-blade to 70 cm × 10 mm, abaxially glabrous but sometimes with long hairs and forming contra-ligule, adaxially with dense weft of long hairs at base and abundant prickle-teeth above. Inflorescence to 25 cm, very long hairy. Glumes often awned. Lemma to 6 mm; hairs dense on margins, fewer in internerves, ≈ sinus. Palea to 7 mm, usually shorter than in other subspp. Anthers to 4.5 mm.

S.: Westland south to Clarke River, and higher passes of Canterbury. In grasslands and scrub; to 1400 m.