Tussock-forming perennial; culms to 120 cm high. Leaf-blades flat, folded or inrolled, to 40 cm long and 4 mm wide; sheaths glabrous; ligules to 3 mm long. Paired racemes of inflorescence c. 3 cm long, on slender, curved branches 3–8 cm long, pilose just below the racemes and exceeding the subtending pinkish bracts; sessile spikelet c. 4 mm long; sterile lemma subequal to glumes; fertile lemma shorter and narrower than sterile; awn golden-brown, hairy at base 1.5–2.5 cm long; pedicellate spikelet male, unawned, slightly longer than sessile one. Axis of rachis, pedicels and glumes all silky-hairy. Flowers Jan.–Mar.
MuM, Wim, VRiv, GipP, NIS. Also naturalised WA, SA, Qld, NSW. Native to Africa and parts of the Mediterranean region.
Apparently a relatively recent introduction in Victoria, where collected from irrigated areas near Piangil (Swan Hill district), Kyabram, Numurkah and Springhurst, and on roadsides toward the South Australian border, west of Mildura.
Source:
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.
