Tetrachne dregei Nees

Rhizomatous, tufted perennial, 320-860 mm high; base robust or woody. Leaf blade 50-125 x 1 mm, curly; ligule a fringe of hairs. Inflorescence of > 4 dense, secund, stout, spike-like racemes, 10-40 mm long, ± their own length apart, mostly scattered on a central axis, usually appressed to axis. Spikelets 4-6 mm long, laterally compressed; glumes ± equal, shorter than spikelet, 1-nerved, usually light to dark grey. Florets 5 or 6; lowest 2 florets reduced to lemmas; bisexual lemma 5-nerved, entire, keeled, hairy on keel, slightly winged, apex and margins also often flushed grey; awned or mucronate; anther 1.5-2.0 mm long. Flowering time Nov.-Mar.