Flora of New Zealand Series

=A. aemula subsp. β spathacea Berggr., Minneskr. Fisiog. Sällsk. Lund Art. 8: 32, t. 7, figs 41-47 (1878); 

Lectotype: LD! S. Berggren Omatangi, Jan. 1875 (designated by Edgar and Forde 1991 op. cit. p. 147).

=A. parviflora var. perpusilla Hook.f., Fl. N.Z. 1: 296 (1853)

≡A. canina var. γ Hook.f. Handbk N.Z. Fl. 328  (1864); 

Holotype: K! Colenso 1731 Summit of Ruahine Mountains, N. Zealand.

pincushion grass

; Lectotype: WELT 69300! T. Kirk Lake Wanaka, 8 Jan., 1877 (designated by Edgar and Forde 1991 op. cit. p. 147).

Small, tight, pale green or glaucous perennials, forming rounded cushions or mats 0.6-2-(6) cm high and up to 10 cm diam., with many culms, much-branched at base; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath hyaline, whitish, glabrous, conspicuously, sparsely ribbed, usually completely concealing culms, much wider than and sometimes longer than leaf-blade. Ligule 0.5-1.5-(4) mm, truncate to acute, usually lacerate or fimbriate, abaxially with scattered prickle-teeth. Leaf-blade (0.1)-0.4-1.2-(4) cm × 0.2-0.4 mm diam., involute, spreading and recurved, abaxially smooth, adaxially ribbed, finely scabrid on ribs; margins minutely scabrid, tip obtuse. Culm erect, internodes glabrous. Panicle usually almost hidden among leaf-sheaths, often recurved, contracted to a minute, dense, ovate head 3.5-7 mm, with few or many spikelets; rachis, branches and pedicels very short, minutely, sparsely scabrid. Spikelets 1.5-2 mm, greenish. Glumes ± equal, ovate-lanceolate, acute, keel green, scabrid, margins wide, glabrous, hyaline, minutely ciliate near tip. Lemma 1.2-1.4 mm, glabrous, faintly 5-nerved, ovate-oblong, truncate, awnless. Palea 0.2-0.4 mm, orbicular or ovate. Lodicules 0.2-0.3 mm. Callus glabrous. Anthers 0.4-0.6 mm. Caryopsis 0.7-1 × 0.3-0.4 mm. 2 n = 42.

N.: eastern Bay of Plenty, Volcanic Plateau, Ruahine and Tararua Ranges, Mt Egmont and on Taranaki coast; S.: throughout except in Westland and Fiordland, more common in South Canterbury, Otago, and Southland; St. Montane to subalpine, rarely alpine, on stony bare ground in tussock grassland or on margins of tarns and lakes; lowland in turf above coastal cliffs.

Endemic.