Lachnagrostis pilosa subsp. nubifera

Detailed description

Usually a robust, wide-leaved, perennial forming tufts 50–900 mm tall, rarely more gracile. ​​​​​​​Branching intravaginal. Leaves usually harsh, dull green drying dark green. Leaf-sheath harsh textured, firm, striate, smooth or finely scabrid above, green to light brown. Ligule 1.3–6.0 mm, tapered, rounded, becoming denticulate, undersides finely scabrid. Leaf-blade 20–280 × 0.5–10 mm, flat, or rather harsh and involute above in plants from the Antipodes Islands; undersides with numerous fine, finely scabrid ribs, midrib prominent near base, upper surface finely ribbed and finely scabrid on ribs; margins finely scabrid, apex subobtuse. Culm 200–660 mm, usually included within the uppermost leaf-sheath, erect, internodes finely scabrid. Panicle 20–280 × 10–200 mm, at first stiff and contracted with erect branches, at maturity often more lax and ovate-elliptic; rachis smooth below, scabrid above, primary branches sparsely scabrid, filiform, very long, erect, secondary branchlets much shorter, very numerous, capillary, scaberulous, tipped by several clustered spikelets. Inflorescences paniculate, usually rather large, firm, pale green and many flowered. ​​​​​​​Spikelets 3–6 mm, light green (rarely purple-green). Glumes ± equal, smooth and membranous, rarely sparsely scabrid in upper half, acute to acuminate; lower elliptic-lanceolate, scabrid on upper ⅔ of keel, upper linear-lanceolate, scabrid on upper ½ of keel. Lemma 1.5–2.0 mm long, < ⅔ length of glumes, elliptic-oblong, truncate, densely hairy throughout, lateral nerves shortly excurrent; awn 0.5–3.5 mm long, straight from upper ⅓ of lemma. Palea elliptic-oblong, roughly the same length as lemma, nerves distinct, 0.2 mm apart, apex shallowly bifid. Callus hairs copious, very short to 0.5 mm long, one fifth to one quarter length of lemma. Rachilla prolongation to 0.5 mm, tipped by hairs to 1 mm long. Lodicules c. 0.5 mm long, lanceolate, acute. Anthers 0.5–0.8 mm long. Seed 1.3–1.8 × 0.4–0.6 mm.