Flora of New Zealand Series

Type species: H. odorata (L.) P.Beauv.

Perennials, coumarin-scented. Leaf-sheath rounded. Ligule membranous to chartaceous. Leaf-blade flat. Culm several-noded. Inflorescence a ± lax panicle. Spikelets ovate, ± laterally compressed, usually 3-flowered with the two lower florets ♂ and the upper ⚥ (in N.Z.); rachilla not prolonged. Glumes subequal, ≈ florets, ovate, 1-3-nerved midnerve percurrent, keeled, chartaceous to membranous. Lemmas of ♂ florets 3-5-nerved, firmly membranous to coriaceous, acute to bilobed, margins ciliate, dorsally to subapically awned, or awn 0, callus long hairy; lemma of ⚥ floret 5-nerved, cartilaginous, margins convolute and covering the palea, emarginate, glabrous to hairy above, subapically short-awned to muticous, callus glabrous. Palea of ♂ florets 2-nerved, of ⚥ or ♀ floret 1-2-nerved, < lemma. Lodicules 2. Stamens 3 in ♂ florets, 2 in ⚥ floret. Ovary glabrous; styles 2, free to connate at base; stigmas long, plumose. Caryopsis ± elliptic, ± laterally compressed; embryo ¼-½ caryopsis; hilum linear, basal. Fig. 11.

c. 30 spp. of temperate to arctic or subantarctic regions; in woods, marshy places, open grassland and tundra. Endemic spp. 6, indigenous sp. 1, extending to Australia, New Guinea and South America.

Although Schouten, Y. and Veldkamp, J. F. Blumea 30: 319-351 (1985) advocated the inclusion of Hierochloe in Anthoxanthum L. we are unable to concur with their conclusions for morphological and genetic reasons. Exceptions to their formal transfers of species of Hierochloe to Anthoxanthum were the species recognised for New Zealand by Zotov, V. D. N.Z. J. Bot. 11: 561-580 (1973); Schouten and Veldkamp did so because they felt "... that another revision of the material is needed".

Zotov (1973 op. cit.) recognised seven species. Here we conform to his taxa and complete his deficient floral descriptions. We acknowledge the validity of Schouten and Veldkamp's call for a complete revision.