Common name: False Katoora Grass
Sporobolus contiguus S.T.Blake APNI* 
Description: Caespitose perennials to 0.6 m high.
Culms erect or ascending, ribbed, glabrous; nodes ribbed, glabrous. Sheaths tightly enclosing culm, becoming loose with age, ribbed, glabrous, upper margin often with rigid hairs to 1 mm long; ligule a rim of hairs c. 0.5 mm long, sometimes with rigid hairs to 1.5 mm long toward each end; blade 3–10 cm long, to 3 mm wide, ribbed, scabrous, glabrous or with rigid tubercle-based hairs to 1.5 mm long, margin hirsute.
Inflorescence paniculate, open, triangular, 9–16 cm long, to 5 cm wide, at maturity exserted and spreading; branches of lowest node 6–9, whorled; rachis smooth, glabrous; pedicels 0.5–3 mm long, flexuous. Spikelets 1.5–2 mm long, overlapping, dark green-grey, borne on spike-like branches, floret 1. Lower glume triangular, c. 0.5 mm long, acute, hyaline; upper glume triangular to lanceolate, 1.5–2. mm long, acute, 1-nerved, scabrous. Lemma lanceolate 1.5–2 mm long, 1-nerved, scabrous; palea slightly shorter than lemma, 2-lobed, 2-nerved, usually split between nerves
Flowering: Flowers in response to rain.
Distribution and occurrence: Usually on heavy clay soils or alluvium.
NSW subdivisions: NWP
Other Australian states: Qld
Text by Jacobs, S.W.L., Whalley, R.D.B. & Wheeler, D.J.B.
Taxon concept: Grasses of New South Wales, Fourth Edition (2008).
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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