Trisetum antarcticum (G.Forst.) Trin.
≡Aira antarctica G.Forst. Prodr. 41 (1786)
≡Avena antarctica (G.Forst.) Roem. et Schult., Syst. Veg. 2: 676 (1817) non Thunb. (1794)
≡Trisetum antarcticum (G.Forst.) Trin. subsp. antarcticum [autonym, Petrie T.N.Z.I. 44: 187 (1912)]
≡T. antarcticum (G.Forst.) Trin. var. antarcticum (autonym Hackel in Cheeseman 1906 op. cit. p. 880);
Holotype: GOET! G. Forster Nova Zeelandia [Queen Charlotte Sound].
=T. saxeticolum Cockayne et Allan, T.N.Z.I. 57: 60 (1926);
Lectotype: CHR 1389B! H. H. Allan Island Bay, Wellington, on rocks (designated by Edgar 1998 op. cit. p. 543).
Tufts usually dense, to 40 cm, with dull green rather rigid leaves usually reaching or sometimes overtopping the dense, spike-like panicles; branching extravaginal at plant base, sometimes intravaginal above. Leaf-sheath to 4 cm, very minutely pubescent or with extremely minute appressed hairs between ribs. Ligule 0.2-0.6 mm, truncate, erose, often sparsely minutely ciliate, abaxially sometimes minutely prickle-toothed. Leaf-blade 3.5-22 cm × 1.5-3-(4) mm, flat or inrolled, abaxially smooth but scabrid near long-narrowed tip, adaxially ribbed with sparse to dense minute hairs and prickle-teeth on ribs, hairs slightly longer near ligule; margins minutely prickle-toothed. Culm 4-30 cm, internodes glabrous, occasionally a few minute prickle-teeth below panicle. Panicle (2)-4-10-(15) × 0.6-2.5 cm, compact, oblong, very dense, or with some lower branches more obvious and slightly spreading; rachis glabrous, branches and pedicels smooth or with sparse minute prickle-teeth or sometimes minute hairs. Spikelets 4.5-7 mm, greyish green or brownish amber. Glumes unequal, hyaline, keel thickened with sparse long prickle-teeth on upper ½; lower ⅔-⅘ length of upper, linear-lanceolate, upper slightly < spikelet, elliptic; margins with prickle-teeth near acuminate to almost mucronate tip. Lemma 4-6.2 mm, bidentate to shortly bicuspid, papillose, prickle-toothed above and on keel; awn 3.5-6 mm, straight to later recurved, insertion in upper ¼ of lemma. Palea with minute prickle-teeth on keels and usually on margins. Callus hairs to 0.5 mm. Rachilla hairs to 2.5 mm. Lodicules c. 1 mm, glabrous. Anthers 1-1.7 mm. Gynoecium: ovary c. 0.8 mm; stigma-styles to 1.3 mm. Caryopsis 2.5-3 × c. 0.6 mm.
N.: south Egmont coast, Kapiti Id, and western and southern Wellington coasts to Cape Palliser; S.: Nelson near Cape Farewell, Marlborough Sounds and islands. Coastal, on gravel, sand, and bluffs; sea level to 30 m. FL Nov-Feb.
Endemic.
Schweickerdt, H. G. Bothalia 3: 185-203 (1937) clarified the nomenclatural confusion which arose for some authors between Aira antarctica G.Forst., Avena antarctica (G.Forst.) Roem. et Schult. and Avena antarctica Thunb. from South Africa for which the type specimen is missing.
