Mexican feather grass

Description

Tufted perennial grass to m high, with unbranched erect culms and glabrous nodes. Leaves smooth, scabrous or shortly pubescent with blade rolled to 0 cm long and 0.5 mm wide; lobe (ligule) at base of upper leaf blade to 4 mm; mouth of sheath (auricle) glabrous. Inflorescence a narrow dense panicle to 30 cm long, with spikelets ly appressed to stem; glumes to 5 mm long, usually purplish initially, soon becoming straw-coloured. This subspecies differs from the other subspecies found in South Australia, A. scabra ssp. falcata which has mouth of sheath hairy ( auricles); ligule to mm long; leaf-blades less than 5 cm long; inflorescence sparse open or spreading, with spikelets somewhat spreading from stems. Flowers throughout the year depending on rain.