Sporobolus virginicus

Long-rhizomatous perennial, producing erect or ascending tufts with culms mostly to 25 cm high. Leaves distichous, rigid, smooth, glabrous or with shortly ciliate auricles; blade inrolled from shortly above base, sharp-pointed, mostly to 5(–10 or more) cm long and 2 mm wide when flattened, ribbed by several more or less equivalent nerves; ligule to 0.5 mm long. Inflorescence a linear, oblong or narrowly ovate, spike-like panicle, 1–6 cm long and 4–9 mm wide. Spikelets 2–3 mm long, shining leaden-grey; glumes keeled, acute, the lower 1.5–2 mm long, the upper as long as the spikelet (or slightly shorter in rare 2-flowered spikelets); lemma and palea acute, subequal to upper glume; palea shallowly grooved along the midline between the 2 close-spaced nerves. Flowers mainly Sep.–Mar.