Astrebla squarrosa C.E.Hubb.

Shortly rhizomatous. Culms branching at upper nodes; flowering culms 20–150 cm high. Leaf blades 7–40 (–50) cm long, 3–6 mm wide. Inflorescences (4–) 7–18 cm long, 1.5–3 cm wide. Spikelets pedicellate, 12–15 (–25) mm long, 4–8 mm wide (excluding awns), 6–9-flowered, with 3–4 bisexual florets. Glumes: lower glume 5–10 mm long, 1–3-nerved; upper glume 6.5–11 mm long, 7–12-nerved. Callus hairs c. 1–2 mm long. Basal lemma oblong to elliptic, prominently nerved, with appressed, erect or spreading hairs arising near or on the lateral nerves in the lower half (glabrous in middle and on margins); body 4.5–7 mm long; lobes similar in form and usually in length, with each lobe tapered into an awn or bristle or lateral lobes subulate; midlobe often hooked, with lateral and marginal nerves greenish above sinuses; lateral lobes c. 1.5 mm wide in midrange, the width gradually decreasing above sinus, without a scarious margin (nerves close to edge). Anthers 1–3 mm long. Grain pale brown or brown; hilum punctiform.

It usually occurs as a minor element in communitiesdominated by A. lappacea or A. pectinata and reaches its highest frequency on lower-lyingground which receives run-off from adjacent areas. On the Barkly Tableland A. squarrosa extends farther N to higher rainfall areas than eitherA. pectinata or A. elymoides and in these areas itsometimes occurs as relatively pure stands. It has been reported from heavy,cracking clays of all colours on plains and river flats, sometimes with Lysiphyllum or Excoecaria, or in Dichanthium/ Eulalia grassland and cleared brigalow areas.