Common name
Crested Speargrass

Derivation
Austrostipa S.W.L.Jacobs & J.Everett, Telopea 6: 582 (1996); from the Latin austro (south or southern) and Stipa (the name of a related genus), referring to the Australian distribution of the species.

blackii- in honour of John McConnell Black (1855–1951), Scots-born South Australian botanist.

Published in
Telopea 6: 584 (1996).

Common synonyms
Stipa blackii C.E.Hubb.
Stipa clelandii Summerh. & C.E.Hubb.

Habit
Perennial, tufted. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, 100 cm tall, 1.5–2.5 mm diam., 3–4-noded. Mid-culm internodes glabrous or pubescent. Mid-culm nodes swollen, pubescent. Lateral branches simple. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous, glabrous on surface or pubescent or hirsute. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringed membrane, 0.3–1.5 mm long, truncate. Leaf-blades flat or involute, 10–20 cm long, 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed, scabrous, pubescent.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle, exserted. Panicle open or contracted, linear, 10–30 cm long, 2–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2–8 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Pedicels terete or angular, 5–13 mm long, scabrous. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, without rhachilla extension, linear, terete, 10–17 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus curved. Floret callus elongated, curved, 1.2–2.3 mm long, pubescent, pungent.

Glumes
Glumes persistent, similar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, 10–17(–20) mm long, 120% length of upper glume, membranous, 3-nerved. Lower glume surface smooth or scabrous. Lower glume margins eciliate or ciliate. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume oblong, 8–15 mm long, membranous, 4–5-nerved. Upper glume surface smooth or asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

Florets
Fertile lemma oblanceolate, subterete, gibbous, 5–7 mm long, coriaceous, dark brown, 5-nerved. Lemma surface pilose, hairy on nerves. Lemma margins convolute, covering most of palea. Lemma hairs yellow. Lemma apex lobed, scabrous, surmounted by a distinct coma of hairs, with this appendage 2–5 mm long, 1-awned. Median (principal) awn bigeniculate, 28–40(–50) mm long overall, with a twisted column. Middle segment of lemma awn 7–10 mm long. Column 6–20 mm long, with 0.1 mm long hairs. Palea 100% of length of lemma, 2-nerved, without keels. Lodicules 2. Anthers 3, 2.3–3.5 mm long. Anther tip penicillate. Stigmas 2. Grain with adherent pericarp, 3.4–3.8 mm long. Embryo 33–50% of length of grain. Hilum linear, 90% of length of caryopsis.

Continental Distribution:
Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania.

Western Australia: Austin, Eyre, Coolgardie. South Australia: Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, South-eastern. New South Wales: Central-Western Slopes, South-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains, South Far Western Plains. Victoria: Murray Mallee, Wimmera, Wannon, Grampians, Riverina, Midlands, Victorian Volcanic Plain, Eastern Highlands, Gippsland Plains, East Gippsland. Tasmania: North East, East Coast.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Pooideae: Stipeae

Notes
Native. Widespread on heavier soils in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia with a few records from Western Australia.