Dichelachne sieberiana Trin. & Rupr.
Stout or slender, rather tall, extravaginal tufts, leaves < culms. Leaf-sheath light brown, sometimes purplish, with numerous short projecting hairs. Ligule 1-1.5 mm, membranous, truncate, ciliate, abaxially scabrid to ciliate, often asymmetric. Leaf-blade to 15 cm × 1-1.5-(3) mm, rather stiff, flat, both surfaces with short stiff projecting hairs; margins minutely scabrid, adaxially ribs minutely scabrid, tapered towards tip. Culm 40-90 cm, nodes ringed above and below with short appressed hairs, internodes usually shortly puberulous, especially below, sometimes scabrid. Panicle (7.5)-12-25 cm, very lax, branches spreading and visible among spikelets; rachis, branchlets and pedicels short-scabrid. Spikelets few, often purplish. Glumes unequal, elliptic-lanceolate, acute; lower 3.5-5 mm, ≤ lemma, upper 4-6 mm, ≤ or > lemma. Lemma 4-6 mm, densely scaberulous, tip hyaline and less so, shortly bifid; awn 10-15 mm, inserted 0.3-0.5 mm below lemma tip, column very tightly twisted, awn usually geniculate at base of column and again above. Palea 3.5-5.5 mm, narrow-linear, keels scabrid near ciliate tip. Callus hairs 1.0-1.5 mm. Rachilla prolongation up to 0.5 mm. Lodicules 0.5-0.6 mm, elliptic-oblong, bifid, glabrous. Anthers 3, 0.9-2.8 mm in chasmogamous flowers, 0.4-0.6 mm in cleistogamous flowers. Caryopsis (2.3)-2.5-2.9 × 0.4-0.6 mm; embryo 0.4-0.5 mm; hilum 2.1-2.7 mm.
N.: Whangaroa Harbour and Bay of Islands; S.: Nelson (Moutere Hill), Canterbury (Christchurch). Roadsides and waste ground in lowland zone.
Naturalised from eastern Australia.
Floral Biology Stamen numbers in Dichelachne vary: 1-3 in D. crinita and D. rara; 1 in D. micrantha; 3 in D. inaequiglumis, D. lautumia and D. sieberiana; there are no differences in stamen number between chasmogamous or cleistogamous flowers. There is no inbreeding depression in S 1 and S 2 families of D. crinita [Connor, H. E. and Cook, A. B. N.Z. J. Sci. Tech. 34A: 369-371 (1952); Connor, H. E. N.Z. J. Sci. Tech. 38A: 742-751 (1957)].
