Common name: Rat's Tail Grass
Sehima nervosum (Rottler) Stapf APNI* 
Description: Erect, densely tufted perennials to c. 1 m tall.
Leaves glaucous, crowded at the base; ligule a rim of hairs 1–2 mm long; blade 2–3 mm wide.
Inflorescence simple, erect, to 12 cm long, axis flattened, hairy. Spikelets paired, dissimilar, 8–10 mm long, the pedicels with white hairs along the edges; spikelet pairs falling with an axis joint. Sessile spikelet narrow, acuminate. Glumes subequal; lower stiff, deeply grooved below the middle, 4-nerved below the winged keels, apex slightly hairy, bidentate; upper glume similar but produced into a bristle 4–15 mm long, 5-nerved, the margins ciliate. Lemmas 2, hyaline; ciliate; lower lemma 6mm long, thinly 2-nerved, without a floret; upper lemma 2-lobed, awned from the sinus; awn twisted, 35–45 cm long, with a bisexual floret. Paleas 2, more or less equalling their lemmas. Pedicellate spikelet narrow, acuminate; glumes bidentate, long-ciliate, 2-keeled, 5-nerved; lower lemma male or sterile, upper lemma male.
Flowering: Flowers in summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Usually grows on good soils in dry areas.
NSW subdivisions: NWS
Other Australian states: Qld W.A. N.T.
Text by Jacobs, S.W.L., Whalley, R.D.B. & Wheeler, D.J.B.
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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