2n = 56

2n = 56

Stiff, bluish green perennial tufts, 10-60 cm tall, with capillary-branched panicles sometimes overtopped by leaves; innovations intravaginal. Leaf-sheaths chartaceous, with wide membranous margins, closely many-nerved, smooth but sometimes scaberulous above on nerves, light brown; ligule (1)-2-4.5 mm, tapered above, smooth to erose across top, abaxially scabrous; leaf-blades (5)-10-24 cm × 2.5-6-(10) mm, flat, rather harsh, scaberulous on nerves and on margins throughout, + abruptly narrowed to firm, ± blunt, ± hooded tip. Culms (4)-7-40 cm tail, erect, or decumbent at base, not projecting beyond upper leaf sheath, densely finely scabrous. Panicle 6-24 × 10-24 cm, lax, with long, whorled, ascending branchlets, later spreading and panicle becoming as broad as long; rachis scaberulous, branchlets scaberulous, spikelets borne singly at tips of ultimate panicle branches, pedicels thickened at tip. Spikelets (4)-5-6 mm, pale green to purplish. Glumes 1-(3)-nerved, narrow-lanceolate, acuminate, usually smooth, sometimes sparsely scabrous, with wide hyaline margins, midnerve scabrous. Lemma 3-4 mm, ± 2/3 length of glumes, hairless, smooth below, often scabrous above, especially on nerves, firmly membranous, shining, elliptic-lanceolate, with excurrent lateral nerves, produced to short awns 0.5-1 mm; central awn (4.5)-5-9 mm, fine, geniculate, from lower 1/3 of lemma or rarely mid-dorsal. Palea c. 2/3 lemma, hyaline with 2 faint keels near centre, keels finely scabrous near minutely bifid tip. Callus hairs ± dense, very short, 0.3-0.7 mm, c. 1/10 length of lemma. Lodicules slightly >0.5 mm, lanceolate, acute. Rachilla 0.5-1 mm, topped by a thick tuft of hairs 1-1.5 mm and almost = palea. Anthers (0.5)- 0.7-1 mm. Caryopsis 1.3-1.8 × 0.5-0.8 mm. Also indigenous to Australia.

Stiff, bluish green perennial tufts, 10-60 cm, with capillary-branched panicles sometimes overtopped by leaves; branching intravaginal. Leaf-sheath chartaceous, with wide membranous margins, closely striate, smooth but sometimes scaberulous above on nerves, light brown. Ligule (1)-2-4.5 mm, tapered above, entire to erose, abaxially scabrid. Leaf-blade (5)-10-24 cm × 2.5-6-(10) mm, flat, rather harsh, scaberulous on ribs and on margins throughout, ± abruptly narrowed to firm, ± blunt, ± hooded tip. Culm (4)-7-40 cm, erect, or decumbent at base, included within uppermost leaf-sheath, internodes densely finely scabrid. Panicle 6-24 × 10-24 cm, lax, with long, whorled, ascending branches, later spreading and panicle becoming as broad as long; rachis scaberulous, branches scaberulous, spikelets borne singly at tips of ultimate panicle branchlets, on pedicels thickened above. Spikelets (4)-5-6 mm, pale green to purplish. Glumes 1-(3)-nerved, narrow-lanceolate, acuminate, usually smooth, sometimes sparsely scabrid, margins wide, hyaline, midnerve scabrid. Lemma 3-4 mm, ± ⅔ length of glumes, smooth, or often scabrid above especially on nerves, firmly membranous, shining, elliptic-lanceolate, lateral nerves excurrent to short awns 0.5-1 mm; central awn (4.5)-5-9 mm, fine, geniculate, from lower ⅓ of lemma or rarely middorsal. Palea c. ⅔ length of lemma, hyaline with 2 faint keels near centre, keels finely scabrid at minutely bifid apex. Callus hairs ± dense, very short, 0.3-0.7 mm, c. Z\z/ length of lemma. Rachilla prolongation 0.5-1 mm, tipped by a thick tuft of hairs 1-1.5 mm and ≈ palea. Lodicules slightly > 0.5 mm, lanceolate, acute. Anthers (0.5)-0.7-1 mm. Caryopsis 1.3-1.8 × 0.5-0.8 mm.