Austrostipa bigeniculata

Tufted perennial, culms erect, to 1.2 m high, nodes minutely sericeous. Leaves mostly glabrous, often finely scabrous, the lower sheaths sometimes finely pubescent; blade inrolled to tightly involute to 30 cm long and 2–3 mm wide when flattened out; ligule less than 0.5 mm long, minutely hairy, with a tuft of longer hairs at each side. Inflorescence a loose slender panicle to 40 cm long. Glumes 12–18 mm long, purplish, acuminate, thinly membranous, often shredding after lemmas have fallen, the lower longer by 2–5 mm than upper; lemma often slightly constricted near the apex, 6–8 mm long, maturing to a deep reddish brown, tuberculate, antrorsely scabrous near apex, covered with slightly spreading golden hairs (white when immature), coma spreading, 1.2–2 mm long, the hairs only slightly longer than those of the body of the lemma; callus 1.5–2 mm long; awn twice bent, 30–60 mm long, 6–11 mm to the first bend; palea subequal to lemma. Flowers mostly Nov.–Jan.