Slender tufted annual, culms erect, to 80 cm high. Leaf-blades flat, to 20 cm long and 10 mm wide, scabrous on the upper surface; ligules blunt, 2–10 mm long. Panicle narrowly ovate to almost globular, very bristly, 1–5 cm long; sterile spikelets subtending and largely concealing fertile ones; sterile spikelets with 6–16 subulate, apically awned bracts, 4–8 mm long; fertile spikelets 1–5-flowered, 7–14 mm long (excluding awns); glumes subequal, narrowly acuminate, 7–12 mm long; lemmas narrowly ovate, 4–7 mm long, scabrous toward apex, with a straight terminal or subterminal awn 6–16 mm long. Flowers Oct.–Jan.
Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, VAlp. Naturalised in all States except NT. Indigenous in the Mediterranean region. Widespread and common in disturbed sites and pastures on fertile and semi-fertile soils throughout southern and north-eastern Victoria.
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.
