Common name: cane needle grass
Nassella hyalina (Nees) Barkworth APNI* Synonyms: Stipa hyalina Nees APNI*
Description: Caespitose perennial to 0.8 (-1.5) m high.
Leaves with sheath slightly to moderately ribbed, upper strongly ribbed, margins glabrous; ligule truncate, membranous, glabrous, 0.2–2 mm long; auricles thickened, with tufts of hairs at the base on the innovations; blade expanded or loosely rolled, 1.5–4 mm wide, strongly ribbed, smooth and glabrous to scaberulous, margins scabrous.
Panicle exserted, contracted, 15–25 cm long, Spikelets gaping, 9 mm long. Glumes unequal, 3-nerved, lower c. 9 mm long; upper 7–8 mm long. Lemma 4 mm long, scabrous; lobes absent; corona to 0.5 (-1)mm long with crystalline spines on the upper margin. Callus curved, c. 0.7 mm long, densely silky. Awn twice bent, 35–40 mm long. Palea 30–40% the length of the lemma.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: A weed of disturbed areas; uncommon. Sometimes cultivated. Native of S America.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *SC, *NT, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS
Other Australian states: *Vic.
Can form dense infestations which exclude more desirable species. See also Weeds in Australia profile compiled by P.G. Kodela (2007).
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & J. Everett; revised by P.G. Kodela (July 2012)
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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