Austrostipa hemipogon
(Benth.) S.W.L.Jacobs & J.EverettTufted perennial, culms erect, to 1 m high, nodes pubescent. Leaves scabrous, sparsely pubescent; blade weakly to strongly inrolled, to 20 cm long and 3 mm broad; ligule ciliate 0.5–3 mm long. Inflorescence a loosely contracted panicle to 25 cm long. Glumes 14–20 mm long, purplish or green, acuminate, the lower 1–5 mm longer than upper; lemma 5–7.5 mm long, brown at maturity, finely granular, with appressed white to golden hairs; a short, sparse coma sometimes present; callus 1.5–3 mm long; awn twice bent, 30–60 mm long, 6–12 mm to the first bend, second bend sometimes obscure and the bristle often falcate, column densely plumose with a spiralling line of hairs 0.5–1.5 mm long; palea about equal to lemma, with a line of hairs down the centre. Flowers mostly Oct.–Dec.
LoM, MuM, Wim, VVP, RobP, GipP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, EGL, WPro. Also WA, SA. Relatively rare in Victoria and known only from mallee-scrubs in the Sunset Country and Big Desert, from woodland near Stawell, and grassland at Toolern Vale near Melton.
Similar to, and sometimes mistaken for Austrostipa mollis, generally a more robust species which is widespread throughout the Victorian lowlands.
