Common name: Rat's Tail Couch
Sporobolus mitchellii (Trin.) C.E.Hubb. ex S.T.Blake APNI* 
Description: Stoloniferous perennials to c. 60 cm tall; base thickened by cataphylls. Culms erect, often with base geniculate, ribbed, glabrous, branched, stolons to c. 1 m long, ascending at first, then bending towards ground; nodes swollen, glabrous.
Sheaths tightly enclosing culm, shorter than internode, ribbed, glabrous, margin minutely ciliate; ligule a rim of hairs <0.5 mm long; blade 3–10 cm long, to 2 mm wide, alternate, ribbed, glabrous, adaxial surface often scabrous.
Inflorescence spicate, 5–13 cm long, to 0.5 cm wide; rachis ribbed, glabrous; pedicels 0.5–1.5 mm long, minutely scabrous. Spikelets 1.5–2 mm long, florets 1. Lower glume linear-lanceolate 1–1.5 mm long, acute, hyaline; upper glume lanceolate, c. 1.5 mm long, acute, 1-nerved, scabrous. Lemma lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm long, acute, 1–2-nerved; palea same length as lemma, 2-lobed or notched, 2-nerved, sometimes split between nerves.
Flowering: Flowers in response to rain.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows on clayey soils of flood plains, muddy flats, water logged areas or depressions subject to submersion in rainy season.
NSW subdivisions: NWS, CWS, NWP, SWP, NFWP, SFWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. W.A. S.A. N.T.
Text by Jacobs, S.W.L., Whalley, R.D.B. & Wheeler, D.J.B. Grasses of New South Wales, Fourth Edition (2008).
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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