Rytidosperma auriculatum (J.M.Black) Connor & Edgar
Small, grey-green, hoary, stiff tufts, shortly rhizomatous; leaves < culms; branching intravaginal, shoots crowded, ± swollen at base. Leaf-sheath pale stramineous, light purple above, scattered long hairs increasing towards collar, culm sheaths especially hairy; apical tuft of hairs 1.5-3 mm, extending dorsally below blade. Ligule 0.4-0.5 mm. Leaf-blade to 5 cm, densely and conspicuously covered in long stiff hairs, inrolled with thickened sparsely scabrid margins, tip obtuse. Culm to 15 cm, internodes glabrous but long-hairy below inflorescence. Panicle small, compact, erect, to 2 cm of few large spikelets on short pedicels; rachis and pedicels conspicuously clothed in long stiff hairs. Spikelets (4)-6-8-flowered, awns exserted from glumes. Glumes irregularly purple-tinged, lanceolate, subobtuse, ± equal, (7.5)-9.5-13 mm; lower 11-13-nerved, upper 9-11-nerved. Lemma (2.2)-2.8-3.0 mm, 9-nerved, upper and lower row of hairs very dense, continuous, upper row < lemma lobes, lower row overlapping upper, glabrous elsewhere; lobes (6)-8-10 mm, tapering to strong awns ≤ central awn, lobes with a short (0.3-0.4 mm) acute membranous subsidiary lobe, adaxially tufts of hairs near base of awn sinus; central awn (6.5)-9-12 mm, column c. 3 mm ≤ upper lemma hairs. Palea (2.2)-3-3.4 mm, broad, apex rounded, < upper lemma hairs, interkeel hairs short, scattered, margins with longer fine hairs. Callus 0.4-0.7 mm, marginal hair tufts just reaching lower lemma hairs. Rachilla 0.2-0.3 mm. Anthers 0.3-0.4 mm. Caryopsis c. 1.5 × 1 mm; embryo 0.7 mm; hilum 0.4 mm.
S.: known only from dry sites at Wither Hills, Marlborough.
Naturalised from Australia.
