Eragrostis australasica (Steud.) C.E.Hubb.

Tufted, shrubby, shortly rhizomatous perennials, often glaucous or pruinose. Culms solid, 100–300 cm high, cane-like, much-branched, fastigiate. Leaves coriaceous; sheaths becoming hard, yellowish; ligule a fringe of hairs, 0.5–0.8 mm long; blade flat and 2–6 mm wide or subulate, straight, to 20 cm long. Panicles open or rather dense, 5–26 cm long, 6–9 (–22) cm wide; branches spreading to drooping, usually divided, naked in lower part. Spikelets sessile, linear, 5–13 mm long, 1–1.8 mm wide, slightly compressed; rachilla straight; florets 4–15, loosely overlapping, unequal in length; terminal floret vestigial. Glumes persistent, unequal, lanceolate, rounded on back; lower glume 1.5–3.5 mm long; upper glume 2–4 mm long. Lemma ovate, 2.3–3.5 mm long, obtuse or truncate, membranous; lateral nerves extending ±half the lemma. Palea as long as lemma; body spathulate, splitting along midline; keels smooth; flaps ±as wide as body. Stamens 3; anthers 1.2–2 mm long. Grain narrowly quadrangular, strongly laterally compressed, 1–1.2 mm long, brown, stipitate.

Grows on clayey, sometimes saline, beds and banks of seasonallyflooded swamps, lakes, claypans, floodouts and watercourses; often partlysubmerged.