Flora of New Zealand Series

; Holotype: CHR 19687! V. D. Zotov Mt Edwards, Canterbury, 5.1.1938.

Small loosely hummock-forming low grass with short glaucous falcate or sinuous leaf-blades, and prostrate to ascending culms; branching intra- and extravaginal sometimes forming short stolons. Leaf-sheath 2-5 cm, striate, retrorsely pubescent or glabrous, sometimes with a few long hairs; forming a short lobe at apex. Ligule 0.3-0.5 mm, erose or finely toothed. Collar thickened, curved, glabrous or short hairy, margin hairs to 1.5 mm. Auricles absent or minute, with 1-2 long hairs. Leaf-blade 5-15 cm × 0.5-0.7 mm diam., ± terete, involute, keeled but only faintly ribbed, falcate, sinuous or irregularly curled or ± straight, abaxially glaucous with scattered to abundant stiff erect or somewhat retrorse hairs 0.5-1 mm, becoming glabrous, or pubescent below becoming glabrous, or glabrous throughout; adaxially with abundant hairs or shorter hairs and/or prickle-teeth; margin prickle-toothed or with hairs to 0.5 mm. Culms 10-35 cm, prostrate to ascending; internodes smooth, glaucous. Inflorescence 2-10 cm, of 1-4 spikelets; rachis margin often glabrous. Spikelets 40-50 mm, of 4-6 shining florets. Glumes ± equal, 4-9 mm, keeled, 3-nerved, sometimes becoming awned, glabrous, margin chartaceous. Lemma smooth except for prickle-teeth on keel above and on margins below extending into reflexed awn 30-50 mm; pruinose. Palea 7-10 mm, apex pointed, bifid. Rachilla 1.5-2 mm, short stiff hairy. Callus 0.75 mm, very shortly bearded, hairs ≤ callus. Lodicules 1.2-1.4 mm. Anthers 2.4-2.5 mm, yellow. Gynoecium: ovary 1.5 mm; stigma-styles 2.5 mm. Caryopsis 6-6.5 mm; embryo 1 mm. 2 n = 42.

S.: inland Waimakariri, Ashburton, Waitaki and Taieri Basins. Dry, open, short tussock grassland, river beds, and rocky sites; 490-1250 m.

Endemic.

This species is based on Group Tekapo II of Agropyron scabrum as discussed in Connor (1954 op. cit.); it is the Elymus of dry open river beds and outwash plains.