Flora of New Zealand Series

vulpia hair grass

Annuals, (3)-9-90 cm, in dense or loose tufts, or as solitary shoots, with base of panicle usually hidden by leaf-sheath. Leaf-sheath firmly membranous, glabrous, green to purplish, or light brown. Ligule 0.2-0.5-(0.7) mm, a truncate membranous ciliate rim, sometimes asymmetrical. Leaf-blade (1.5)-3.5-20 cm × 0.3-0.5 mm diam., inrolled, or flat and 0.5-2.5 mm wide, abaxially glabrous, adaxially covered with minute silky hairs; margins and fine acute tip scabrid. Culm 5-40-(60) cm, erect, or curved upwards from decumbent base, internodes glabrous. Panicle linear, secund, curved or nodding, dense, usually ± racemose above, shortly branched below; rachis, stiff ± appressed branches and short stiff pedicels scabrid on angles. Spikelets 15-25 mm, 5-6-(7)-flowered, uppermost 1-(2) florets Ø, oblong or cuneate, green to purplish. Glumes extremely unequal, glabrous, acute; lower 0.5-1-(2) mm, ⅙ to almost ½ length of upper, 1-nerved, sub-ulate, upper (2.7)-3-4.5 mm, 3-nerved, narrow-lanceolate. Lemma 5.5-8.5 mm, faintly 5-nerved, firm, rounded, linear-lanceolate, scabrid, especially above near awn; awn 9-14.5 mm, fine, scabrid. Palea keels scabrid near apex. Anthers usually 1, rarely 2, (0.4)-0.5-0.6 mm, or 0.8-1.5-(2.5) mm. Caryopsis 3.5-4.5 × 0.4-0.6 mm.