Common name: Giant Rat's Tail Grass
Sporobolus natalensis (Steud.) T.Durand & Schinz APNI* Description: Erect tufted perennials to c. 1.5 m tall.
Ligule a fringed membrane to 0.4 mm long; blade 2–4 mm wide, glabrous.
Inflorescence 20–30 cm long, pyramidal, open; primary branches solitary, divergent, as long or longer than the adjaceant internode, spikelets loosely and evenly spaced along the whole branch; pedicels 0.7–1.5 mm long. Glumes membranous; lower 0.5–0.8 mm long, obtuse, nerveless; upper glume 0.8–1.3 mm long, at least 50% spikelet length, acute, 1-nerved, glabrous. Lemma 1.6–2.3 mm long, acute, 1-nerved; palea 1.5–2.2 mm long, subequal to the lemma, 2-nerved, obtuse, entire.
Flowering: Flowers in summer.
Distribution and occurrence:
NSW subdivisions: *NC
Other Australian states: *Qld
Text by S.W.L. Jacobs (2004) Taxon concept: D.J.B. Wheeler, S.W.L. Jacobs & R.D.B. Whalley (2002)
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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