Stout, yellow-green when fresh, golden when dry, shortly creeping plants with stiff culms and very harsh leaves. Rhizome lignaceous, 10–15 mm diameter, shortly creeping, covered by red-brown to brown, fibrous strands left from decaying leaf-sheaths.

Coastal sand dune systems. It favours sloping and more or less unstable surfaces, growing mostly on the front face of active dunes but also on the rear face and rear dunes, provided that there is wind-blown sand. It can also grow on the top of sand hills. It is effective at trapping sand.

Uses Sun's energy for photosynthesis.

White flowers in spring and early summer, fruits late summer.

Endemic. New Zealand: North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands.

http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora_details.aspx?ID=164 accessed 13/02/14