Common name
Roughtail

Derivation
Rostraria Trin., Fund. Agrost. 149 (1820); from Latin rostrum (beak or rostellum), alluding to the shape of the lemma apex in the type specimen.

pumila- Latin for dwarf, low growing.

Published in
Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 2: 31 (1906).

Common synonyms
Koeleria pumila (Desf.) Domin
Lophochloa pumila (Desf.) Bor
Trisetum pumulum (Desf.) Kunth

Habit
Annual, tufted. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, 5–35 cm tall, 1–4-noded. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 1–1.5 mm long, obtuse. Leaf-blades 3–7 cm long, 1–3 mm wide, flaccid. Leaf-blade surface glabrous or puberulous to hirsute. Leaf-blade apex obtuse or abruptly acute, hardened.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence solid, a panicle. Panicle spiciform, oblong or ovate, continuous or interrupted, 1–6 cm long, 0.4–0.5 cm wide. Panicle axis glabrous or puberulous. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Pedicels oblong. Fertile spikelets many flowered, comprising 4 fertile florets, with a barren rhachilla extension, oblong, laterally compressed, 2.5–3.5 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pilose.

Glumes
Glumes persistent, similar to each other and to fertile lemma in texture, gaping. Lower glume elliptic, 2.5–3 mm long, equalling upper glume, membranous, 3-nerved. Lower glume surface villous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic, 2.5–3 mm long, 75% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, membranous, 1-keeled, 3-nerved, midnerve ciliolate. Upper glume surface glabrous or villous. Upper glume apex acute.

Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic, 3–3.5 mm long, membranous, much thinner on margins, 5-nerved. Lemma midnerve scaberulous. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex dentate, 2-fid, acute, 1-awned. Median (principal) awn dorsal, arising 75% way up back of lemma, 2–3 mm long overall. Palea gaping, 50–66% of length of lemma, hyaline. Palea keels scaberulous. Rhachilla extension villous, with 1 mm long hairs. Anthers 3, 0.3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

Continental Distribution:
Europe, Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia.

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

Western Australia: Carnarvon, Austin, Eucla, Irwin, Avon, Coolgardie. South Australia: Lake Eyre, Nullabor, Gairdner-Torrens Basin, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, South-eastern. New South Wales: Central-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains, North Far Western Plains, South Far Western Plains. Victoria: Murray Mallee, Gippsland Plains.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Pooideae

Notes:
Introduced.