Nassella leucotricha
(Trin. & Rupr.) Pohl Texas Needle-grassTufted perennial, culms erect, to c. 1 m high, nodes glabrous or minutely pubescent. Leaves glabrous or the blade sparsely pubescent; blade flat or somewhat inrolled, to 30 cm long and 5 mm broad; ligule glabrous, 0.5–1 mm long. Inflorescence a contracted panicle to 25 cm long. Glumes 11–15 mm long, hyaline to straw-coloured, acuminate, equal or subequal; lemma (6–)c. 7(–9) mm long, pale brown or purplish at maturity, tuberculate, glabrous except near callus and along midrib; corona c. 1 mm long, excluding the erect apical hairs or slender spines 0.6–1.5 mm long; callus 1–3 mm long; awn twice bent, 35–60 mm long, 10–20 mm to the first bend, scabrous; palea 1–2 mm long, hyaline, glabrous.
GleP, VVP, VRiv, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, DunT, HSF. Also naturalised SA, NSW, Tas. Native to U.S.A and Mexico. Common, mostly on basaltic areas immediately north and west of Melbourne, Taradale near Castlemaine, near Clunes north of Ballarat and in the Geelong area (e.g. Lethbridge), with an isolated record near Stratford and a record from sandier soil near Brighton.
Like Nassella hyalina and N. neesiana the species is reported to produce cleistogenes in its native habitat, but these have not been observed in Victorian specimens.
Walsh, N.G. (1994). Poaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons, pp. 356–627. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
