Eragrostis australasica

Shortly rhizomatous perennial, culms rather stout, to 5 mm diam. or more, covered in greyish wax at least when young, freely branching at nodes, to 3 m high. Leaves smooth and glabrous, rather stiff, largely confined to culms; blade flat or inrolled, to 20 cm long and 6 mm wide, but often rudimentary at upper nodes; sheaths spreading, loosely clustered at branching nodes; ligule ciliate, 0.5–0.8 mm long. Inflorescence a panicle, to 20 cm long and 12 cm wide, initially contracted but branches finally spreading. Spikelets 4–10-flowered, 5–13 mm long and 1–1.8 mm wide, slaty green or grey, shining; glumes membranous, faintly nerved, acute or erose at apex, the lower 1.5–3.5 mm long, the upper usually longer by 0.5–1.5 mm; lemma 2.3–3.5 mm long, obtuse or erose at apex; palea equal to lemma, splitting along the midline as the grain matures. Anthers 1.2–2 mm long. Flowers Sep.–May.