Enneapogon spathaceus Gooss.

Tufted, wiry perennial 650-900 mm high, sparsely hairy with gland-tipped hairs to nearly glabrous; rhizome short; rootstock with hairy cataphylls; culm much branched and leafy a distance above the base, geniculate, densely hairy on nodes and for a short distance below node (± 2 mm). Leaf blade to 200 x 3-4 mm. Inflorescence usually open, central axis exposed, branched. Spikelet 6.0-8.5 mm long (including awns), (3)4 or 5-flowered, third reduced in size, male or sterile but otherwise resembling lowest floret; lemma awns apparently of distinctly shorter, finer ones alternating with longer more robust ones, this occurs occasionally in other species but not as distinctly, plumose for at least 1/2 their length, sometimes slightly more; hairs at base of lemma and around the callus up to 1.5 mm long (at least a few hairs this long); anther 1.5-2.5 mm long.