Common name: Mitchell Grasses
Astrebla elymoides F.Muell. ex F.M.Bailey APNI* 
Description: Erect tussocky perennial to 1 m high.
Leaves with blade 3–5.5 mm wide, margins and upper surface bristly.
Inflorescence slender, spike-like, 12–38 cm long, c. 3 mm wide, exserted well beyond leaves. Spikelets solitary, very slender, terete or slightly compressed, lanceolate to linear-oblong, tightly appressed to axis, 11–18 mm long. Glumes often deciduous, lanceolate to oblong, lower 1-nerved, 5.5–7 mm long, upper 7–11-nerved, 11–17 mm long. Lemmas shortly villous at the base; midlobe tapered into a slender bristle 4–6 mm long, lateral lobes rigid, 2–4 mm long. Palea lanceolate, to 7 mm long.
Flowering: in response to rain.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows on water run-on areas on heavy self-mulching clays.
NSW subdivisions: NWS, CWS, NWP, NFWP
Other Australian states: Qld N.T.
Regarded as the best of the mitchell grasses for grazing, especially for cattle.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & S. M. Hastings
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
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.
|
