Flora of New Zealand Series

bordered panic grass

Scrambling, shortly rhizomatous, variable in size, with ± trailing culms often rooting at lower nodes, branched near base; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath light green, becoming pale dull brown, closely enwrapping lower half of internode, later loose, submembranous, striate, with fine tubercle-based hairs, or glabrous with a fringe of tubercle-based hairs just inside margin. Ligule composed of hairs 0.3-1 mm, hairs extending as a contra-ligule. Collar hairs few, short. Leaf-blade 2.5-8-(15) cm × 3-8 mm, firm to rather rigid, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, truncate to ± rounded at base, flat, glabrous or with a few scattered tubercle-based hairs, adaxially minutely scabrid on ribs, shortly pubescent above ligule; margins somewhat thickened, minutely scabrid. Culm 20-85 cm, slender and wiry, nodes usually pubescent, internodes smooth, to finely scabrid above, with scattered, fine, tubercle-based hairs below panicle. Panicle (2)-3-10-(16) cm, ± erect, linear or lanceolate, with short, appressed to slightly spreading branches covered with spikelets to base; rachis ± planoconvex, occasionally with a few tubercle-based hairs near base; branches bearing a few short racemes or reduced to a single raceme, axils pubescent. Racemes 1-4 cm; rachis flattened, angled, finely scabrid. Spikelets c. 2.5-3 mm, pale green, elliptic-lanceolate, acute to subacuminate. Lower glume 0.7-1.2 mm, upper glume = spikelet. Lower floret: lemma = spikelet, 5-nerved, » lemma of upper floret and curved in above towards acute tip. Upper floret: lemma 1.7-2.3 mm, coriaceous, pubescent with fine white hairs; palea similarly pubescent as lemma; anthers 0.5-1 mm; caryopsis c. 1 × 0.8 mm, elliptic-oblong.

N.: North and South Auckland, and Wellington (Tawa). Open ground in pine plantations, forest margins, pasture, logging tracks.

Naturalised from Australia.

Once collected in South Id from Banks Peninsula J. B. Armstrong 1877 (CHBG 5452).

Frequently growing with the support of taller grasses and rushes; aggressive and troublesome in pastures at Warkworth (and possibly elsewhere); usually overlooked (A. E. Esler pers. comm.).