Common name: Swamp Ricegrass
Leersia hexandra Sw. APNI* 
Description: Aquatic or semi-aquatic perennial to 1.5 m high, with long branching rhizomes.
Leaves with sheath terete, the lowest often loose, finally striate, glabrous or scabrous to hispid, margins sometimes ciliate; ligule membranous, mostly 1.5–2.5 mm long, obliquely truncate; blade flat or involute, 2–16 mm wide, usually glabrous, scaberulous to lightly scabrous.
Panicle oblong, 5–15 cm long, mostly terminal, contracted to open; racemes 1–5 on each branch, each bearing 3–10 spikelets, the pedicels short. Spikelets 3.5–6 mm long, with 1 bisexual floret, laterally compressed. Glumes reduced to a minute obscure rim. Lemma 5-nerved, the size and shape of the spikelet, keeled. Palea 3-nerved, shorter than the lemma, keeled. Grain remaining enclosed by lemma and palea, mature grain rarely developed.
Flowering: summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Usually grows in and around swamps and creeks; north from Port Jackson.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC
Other Australian states: Qld N.T.
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.
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