Rytidosperma erianthum (Lindl.) Connor & Edgar
Small hoary-leaved tufts; leaves « culms; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath light purple, of basal leaves glabrous, of culm leaves abundantly long-hairy; apical tuft of hairs to 3.5 mm. Ligule 0.7 mm. Leaf-blade to 9 cm, ± flat, to 2 mm wide, densely and conspicuously covered in long stiff hairs, margins thickened, scabrid. Culm to 45 cm, internodes glabrous but long-hairy below inflorescence. Panicle short, broad, to 4.5 cm, of few large spikelets on short pedicels; rachis and pedicels covered in long fine hairs. Spikelets 5-8-flowered, awns exserted from glumes. Glumes purplish, lanceolate, obtuse, 10-14 mm, ± equal; lower 9-11-nerved, upper 9-nerved, occasionally long scattered hairs. Lemma 3.0-3.7 mm, 9-nerved, upper and lower rows of hairs very dense, continuous, upper hairs « lemma lobes, marginal tufts of lower row overlapping upper but central tufts shorter, glabrous, shining elsewhere; lobes 8-9.8 mm, tapering to long conspicuous awns, adaxially scattered short hairs and two thick longer tufts near awn sinus; central awn 12.8-15 mm, column 4 mm » upper lemma hairs. Palea 3.3-4 mm, obovate-oblong, broad, apex rounded, < upper lemma hairs, interkeel hairs few and very short at base, margins with 1-2 long fine hairs. Callus 0.8-1 mm, thick marginal hair tufts overlapping lower lemma hairs. Rachilla 0.1 mm. Anthers 0.4, and 0.7-0.9 mm. Caryopsis c. 1.5 mm; embryo 0.6 mm; hilum 0.5 mm.
S.: known only from dry sites at Wither Hills, Taylor Valley, and Blind River, Marlborough, and Taieri Ferry, Otago.
Naturalised from Australia.
Although not recognised for N.Z. until 1979, specimens of R. erianthum were collected almost ninety years earlier (WELT 40259 D. Petrie Taieri Ferry, 1892).
