Astrebla pectinata F.Muell. ex Benth.

Rhizomatous. Culms branching at lower nodes; lower culm internodes often flattened; flowering culms (15–) 30–120 cm high. Leaf blades 7–25 cm long, 2–7 mm wide. Inflorescences pectinate racemes, 3–13 cm long, 1–2 cm wide. Spikelets pedicellate, 8–20 mm long, 4–8 mm wide (excluding awns), 4–8-flowered, with 2–3 bisexual florets. Glumes: lower glume 7–14 mm long, 5–9-nerved; upper glume 8–15 mm long, 7–16-nerved. Callus hairs 2.3–4.3 mm long. Basal lemma oblong, obscurely nerved, with erect or spreading hairs arising in the lower half on all costal and intercostal regions and extending further up the midlobe and outer margins; body 3–5 mm long; lobes dissimilar in form and length (midlobe with awn longer); midlobe not hooked, tapered into an awn or rigid bristle above palea apex, much narrower than lateral lobes; lateral lobes 1–1.75 mm wide in midrange, wider above sinus, acuminate or acute, with broad scarious margins (giving inflorescences a whitish or silvery cast). Anthers 0.9–1.6 mm long. Grain pale brown or golden; hilum elliptic.

This species is the dominant grass over most of the BarklyTableland and headwaters of the Georgina R. in the N.T. with much smaller areasof dominance at the head of Sturt Ck and N of Mt Hay. Occurrences in W.A. andS.A. are restricted to relatively small pockets of cracking clay soils, forexample, between ridges in hilly areas, in depressions and drainage lines.Through Qld and N.S.W. A. pectinata may become locally dominantbut generally it is less abundant than A. lappacea or other perennial grasses.Associated taxa include other Astrebla species, Eragrostis setifolia, Eulalia aurea, Iseilema and Aristida. 

The seeds are gathered and ground into flour and used for damper.

It is grown from seed.