Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Austrodanthonia mera (Connor et Edgar) H.P.Linder, Telopea 7: 272 (1997); 

Holotype: CHR 309413! P. A. Williams Elliot Stream, Marlborough, hollows amongst steep to rolling country, N. facing slopes, Feb. 1977.

Light green, fine-leaved dense tufts, shortly rhizomatous, later with straw-coloured, long, drooping or trailing culms; leaves « culms; branching extra- or intravaginal. Leaf-sheath pale stramineous, glabrous; apical tuft of hairs few, to 1.5 mm. Ligule 0.1-0.2 mm. Leaf-blade to 25-(40) cm, ± flat, glabrous or occasionally a few scattered short hairs, margins scabrid. Culm very slender, tawny, internodes smooth but minutely scabrid below inflorescence, elongating to c. 140 cm at maturity. Raceme, or rarely racemose panicle, with 1-2 short branches at base, slender, to 8 cm, of few, narrow, almost sessile spikelets; rachis and pedicels finely scabrid with longer fine hairs on margin especially below spikelets. Spikelets 4-6-flowered, awns exserted from glumes. Glumes light green, occasionally purplish, lanceolate, subobtuse, (7)-9.5-13-(15) mm, ± equal, both 5-(7)-nerved. Lemma (2.5)-3-4 mm, 7-9-nerved, upper row of hairs in small marginal tufts only, ≈ lemma, or occasionally upper tufts absent, lower row in small marginal tufts only, or a few small tufts or single hairs between, elsewhere glabrous and shining, occasional hairs on margin; lobes (3)-6-7.5-(8.5) mm, soon tapering to fine awn; central awn (6.5)-8-11.5-(14) mm, column (2.5)-3-3.5 mm. Palea (2.5)-3.5-4.5-(5) mm, > upper lemma hairs, interkeel and margins glabrous. Callus 0.6-1 mm, marginal hair tufts rarely reaching base of lower lateral tufts. Rachilla 0.5-0.6 mm. Anthers 0.3-0.9 and 1.2-1.5 mm. Caryopsis 1.7-2.5 × 0.9-1.2 mm; embryo 0.7-1 mm; hilum 0.5-0.7 mm. Plate 11B.

N.: sporadically in central mountains, eastern Wairarapa, and Aorangi Range, Wellington; S.: sporadically in Marlborough, Canterbury, and Sutton Salt Lakes near Middlemarch. Grassland in lowland and montane zones.

Endemic.