Seed heads on stem. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Seeding plant. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Spent flowers. Photo: Bill Strong, near Mt Cottrell, Vic

Two spikelets. Photo: Greg Jordan, Tas

Common Name

Small-flowered Wallaby Grass, Bristly Wallaby Grass, Mulga Wallaby Grass

Family

Poaceae

Notes

Perennial grass 10-60cm tall.  Leaves with a hairy or hairless, sometimes slightly rough, sheath at the base.  Ligule a fringe of hairs.  Leaves 5-20cm long, 1mm wide, threadlike or with the edges rolled inwards, hairy or hairless, or slightly rough on the upper surface.  Spikelets pale or purplish, 7-14mm long excluding the longest awn.  Mature seed groups cylindrical to oval. Seeds with three awns.  Was Austrodanthonia setacea.

Description (page 83) and line drawing of seed (page 80 Fig. 16i) (as Danthonia setacea) in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Rytidosperma~setaceum

ausgrass2 description, photos, and line drawings:  http://ausgrass2.myspecies.info/content/rytidosperma-setaceum