Common name: Coast Spear-grass
Austrostipa stipoides (Hook.f.) S.W.L.Jacobs & J.Everett APNI* Synonyms: Stipa stipoides (Hook.f.) Veldkamp APNI* Dichelachne stipoides APNI*
Description: Caespitose perennial to c. 1.2 m high.
Leaves with sheath weakly ribbed, glabrous to shortly pubescent between the nerves, margins glabrous; ligule obtuse, membranous, papery, glabrous, 4–9 mm long; auricles absent; blade subterete, permanently folded, with a needle-like point, 0.6–1.1 mm wide, slightly ribbed with minute hairs on upper surface, margins glabrous or scabrous.
Panicle exserted, 10–25 cm long. Spikelets laterally compressible, gaping, 12–20 mm long (excluding awn). Glumes equal to subequal, acute. Lemma 8–13 mm long, very faintly granular, pilose, lobes 2, 0.5–3 mm long, coma obscure. Callus nearly straight, with dense hairs. Awn weakly twice bent, 2–4 cm long. Palea equal to lemma.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows on coastal dunes and headlands; south from Jervis Bay area.
NSW subdivisions: SC
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas. S.A.
Text by SWL Jacobs and J Everett 1993 (as Stipa) Taxon concept: Flora NSW vol 4 (1993)
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