Austrostipa tenuifolia

Tufted perennial, culms erect, to 1 m high, glabrous; nodes often hidden within sheaths. Leaves smooth to scabrous, occasionally with scattered, short, stiff hairs; sheaths often purplish; blade loosely to tightly inrolled, to 25 cm long, to 1.5 mm diam.; ligule ciliate to woolly, 0.8–2.5 mm long. Inflorescence a sparse, slender panicle to 35 cm long, its base sometimes enclosed by uppermost leaf-sheath. Glumes 13–20 mm long, usually purplish initially, acuminate or acute, subequal or the lower up to 5 mm longer than upper; lemma 7–9 mm long, brown at maturity, granular for the most part, shortly tuberculate, with moderately dense short white to pale tan hairs, usually sparser toward the apex; coma sparse (if developed), to c. 1 mm long; callus 2–3 mm long; awn falcate, 70–100 mm long, the straight part 10–15 mm long, shortly pubescent to villous; palea slightly shorter than lemma, with a sparse line of hairs down the centre. Flowers Oct.–Nov.