Synonymy: Rylidosperma duttonianum (Cashm.)Connor & Edgar, New Zealand J. Bot. 17:332 (1979).

Common name: Brown-back wallaby-grass.

Description:
Erect densely tufted moderately robust glabrous perennial, 60-80 cm high; sheaths rather loose, smooth; leaves firm, 2-3.5 mm wide, c. 20 cm long, green and smooth on the abaxial surface, adaxial surface glaucous and scabrous; ligule of short cilia (c. 0.5 mm), collar hairs absent.

Panicle 4-12 cm long, finally exserted, obliquely oblong to ovate, the lower branches often to 2 cm apart and to 8 cm long; spikelets numerous, clustered, pale-green, tinged with purple, 5-7-flowered, about two-thirds the length of the glumes; glumes 11-20 (usually c. 16) mm long, c. 7-nerved, with broad hyaline margins; lemma 3-4 mm long (including callus of 0.75-1 mm), with 2 whorls of hairs, upper whorl just below the sinus and 2-4 mm long, lower whorl 1.5-2 mm long, above the callus; body of the lemma golden-brown at maturity; lateral lobes pale-coloured, c. 6-10 mm long, flat for about 3-4 mm and narrowed obliquely and rather abruptly into the 4-6 mm long awns; central awn c. 11-15 mm long, strong, somewhat reflexed from the base then strongly twisted 2 or 3 times and geniculate above the twists, exceeding the lateral lobes by 3-6 mm; palea c. 6 mm long, exceeding the sinus by c. 2 mm, ovate-lanceolate, with a 2-lobed tip, glabrous on the back; anthers 0.7-2 mm long, yellow-orange; grain c. 2.5 mm long.

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 81.

Distribution:  Believed to have considerable economic potential, but not particularly abundant under natural conditions.   N.S.W.; Vic. Conservation status: native Flowering time: not available.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available