Shortly rhizomatous, tussock-forming perennial. Culms erect to c. 150 cm high; nodes hairy. Leaf-blades folded, to 60 cm long and 8 mm wide when flattened out, glabrous on lower (outer) surface, scabrous-pubescent on upper surface; sheaths ciliate along margins; ligules papery, oblong, 2–4 mm long, subtended by silky hairs. Panicle 10–20 cm long, of 12–25 erect, semi-appressed racemes, the longest (lowermost) to c. 8 cm long. Spikelets purplish to yellowish brown, elliptic, 2–2.5 mm long, paired, in 4 rows, the subtending bristles subequal to the spikelets; lower glume not developed; upper glume 3–5-nerved, as long as spikelet, sparsely covered with short, fine, erect hairs; lower lemma 3-nerved, equal to upper glume, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs near margin; fertile lemma acute, subequal to spikelet, rounded dorsally, hardened, pale, very finely striate, slightly granular. Flowers Jan.–Mar.
VVP, GipP, HSF, Strz. Also naturalised in Qld, NSW. Native to South America. Formerly grown as an ornamental and occasionally appearing in gardens. Collected and noted as naturalised on a seepage area of a road embankment and in paddocks at Lilydale (1987), with subsequent collections made further south in Oakleigh and in South Gippsland near Loch.
