Flora of New Zealand Series

Loosely tufted annuals, very variable in size, 4-70-(90) cm. Leaf-sheath ± loose, chartaceous, striate, usually finely scabrid above. Ligule (1.5)-4-9 mm, oblong, rounded, lacerate, abaxially finely scabrid. Leaf-blade (1)-6-15 cm × (1.5)-3-4.5-(8) mm, flat, minutely scabrid throughout or sometimes only on ribs near tip and on margins. Culm (3)-10-60 cm, ± erect, or ascending from geniculate base, internodes glabrous. Panicle 1-6 × 0.5-4-(7) cm, dense, cylindric to ovate-lanceolate, often lobed to ± interrupted at base; rachis smooth to scabrid above, with fascicled, finely scabrid branches and short, finely scabrid pedicels disarticulating near base. Spikelets 3-5 mm, oblong, light green, sometimes purplish, falling entire at maturity with most of pedicel attached. Glumes equalling spikelet, ± evenly scabrid, margins usually sparsely ciliate in lower ½, narrowed to shallowly notched apex with very fine, straight, terminal scabrid awn 1.5-2.5-(3) mm. Lemma 1-1.4 mm, hyaline, glabrous, elliptic-oblong, denticulate-truncate or minutely 4-toothed, usually with a fine, caducous apical awn (1.4-2.6 mm). Palea slightly shorter and narrower than lemma, keels ± excurrent. Anthers 0.5-0.7 mm. Caryopsis 0.9-1.2 × 0.4-0.5 mm.

N.: common in North Auckland, scattered further south; S.: Canterbury (near Christchurch); K.: Raoul Id. Roadsides, sand flats, damp waste land, steep banks, rocky and swampy ground.

Naturalised.

Indigenous to Asia and tropical Africa.

Because of its short awns P. fugax is sometimes confused with ×Agropogon littoralis, but that hybrid between P. monspeliensis and Agrostis stolonifera persists for more than 1 year, has Ø anthers, and only very rarely produces a mature caryopsis.