Common name
Tussock Grass

Derivation
Poa L., Sp. Pl. 67 (1753); from the Greek poa (grass, especially as fodder).

labillardieri- in honour of Jacques Julian Houtlan de Labillardiere (1755–1834), French botanist and explorer.

Published in
Syn. Pl. Glum. 1: 262 (1854).

Habit
Perennial, densely tufted. Rootstock evident. Basal leaf sheaths herbaceous, pallid. Young shoots extravaginal or intravaginal. Culms 30–120 cm tall. Mid-culm internodes terete, smooth or retrorsely scabrous. Lateral branches simple. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous, glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringed membrane, 0.3–0.5 mm long, truncate. Leaf-blades flat or involute, 15–61(–80) cm long, 0.6–5 mm wide, rigid, dark green. Leaf-blade surface scabrous, glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate, filiform.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above. Panicle open, lanceolate, 10–26 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading, 3-nate, 4–12 cm long. Panicle branches capillary, scabrous.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Pedicels scabrous. Fertile spikelets many flowered, comprising 3–5 fertile florets, with diminished florets at the apex, oblong, laterally compressed, 4–8 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth. Floret callus woolly.

Glumes
Glumes persistent, similar. Lower glume oblong, 2.6–3.8 mm long, 90% length of upper glume, membranous, 1-keeled, 3-nerved, midnerve scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong, 3.2–4.3 mm long, 75% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, membranous, 1-keeled, 3-nerved, midnerve scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

Florets
Fertile lemma oblong, oblong in profile, 2.5–4.7 mm long, membranous, 5-nerved. Lemma midnerve ciliate, hairy below. Lemma surface scaberulous, rough above, pilose. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 90% of length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous, adorned above. Palea surface scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped. Lodicules 2, membranous. Anthers 3, 2–2.4 mm long. Grain with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

Continental Distribution:
Australasia.

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

South Australia: Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South-eastern. Queensland: North Kennedy, South Kennedy, Leichhardt, Wide Bay, Darling Downs, Moreton. New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast, South Coast, Northern Tablelands, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, North-Western Slopes, Central-Western Slopes, South-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains. Victoria: Wimmera, Wannon, Grampians, Riverina, Midlands, Victorian Volcanic Plain, Otway Plain, Otway Range, Eastern Highlands, Gippsland Plains, Gippsland Highlands, Wilsons Promontory, Snowfields, East Gippsland. Tasmania: King Island, Furneaux Group, North West, North East, West Coast, Central Highlands, Midlands, Ben Lomond, East Coast, South West, Mt Field, Mt Wellington.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Pooideae: Poeae

Notes
Endemic. Southern and eastern Australia. There are two varieties.