Seeds. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Seeding stems (ssp. scabra). Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Plant (ssp. scabra). Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Plant (ssp. scabra). Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Plant (ssp. falcata). Australian Plant Image Index, photo: Murray Fagg, Cocoparra National Park, NSW

Common Name

Speargrass, Rough Speargrass; Slender Speargrass; Delicate Speargrass

Family

Poaceae

Notes

Perennial grass 30-80cm tall.  Leaves with a smooth, hairy, or rough sheath at the base.  Ligule a membrane without a fringe of hairs.  Leaves to 25cm long, 0.7-2mm wide, folded together lengthwise, rolled, or the edges rolled inwards, rough, hairy or hairless, the edges smooth, minutely hairy, or rough.  Spikelets brown, 8-15mm long, excluding the awn.  Mature seed groups spreading to cylindrical.  Seeds with one long awn.

Ssp. scabra has a narrow infloresecence, and ligules 0.6-1mm long (needs a microscpe to measure).

Ssp. falcata has a spreading inflorescence, and ligules 0.3-0.6mm long (needs a microscpe to measure).

Description and photo (as Stipa scabra) in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales page 145

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

ausgrass2 description, photos, and line drawing:  http://ausgrass2.myspecies.info/content/austrostipa-scabra