Common name: Slender Rat's Tail Grass
Sporobolus elongatus R.Br. APNI* 
Description: Tufted perennial to c. 1 m high.
Culms ribbed, glabrous. Sheaths tightly enclosing culm, ribbed, glabrous, margin often ciliate with hairs to 1 mm long; ligule a ciliate rim <0.5 mm tall, each end with rigid hairs to 1.5 mm long; blade 3–35 cm long, to 3 mm wide, ribbed, glabrous, lower margin sometimes with rigid hairs to 1 mm long.
Inflorescence spicate, often lax, 13–30 cm long, to 1 cm wide; axis ribbed, glabrous, visible for the lower 50% of the inflorescence, upper 50% usually concealed; branches appressed, 0.5–5 cm long; pedicels to 1 mm long. Spikelets 1.5–2 mm long, dark green-grey, floret 1. Lower glume oblong to lanceolate, c. 0.5 mm long, acute or obtuse, hyaline; upper glume lanceolate, c. 1 mm long, acute, 1-nerved, hyaline. Lemma lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm long, acute, faintly 3-nerved; palea lanceolate, subequal to lemma. acute, 1-nerved, rounded on back.
Flowering: Flowers in summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in woodland of higher rainfall areas.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS
Other Australian states: Qld S.A.
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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