Citation: Vick., Contr. N.S.W. natn. Herb. 1:299 (1950).

Synonymy: Notodanthonia laevis (Vick.) Zotov, New Zealand J. Bot. 1:117 (1963); Rytidosperma laeve (Vick.) Connor & Edgar, New Zealand J. Bot. 17:325 (1979).

Common name: None

Description:
Erect densely tufted perennial, 20-60 cm high; leaves usually fine, intolied, somewhat rigid, pointed, to 1.5 mm broad and 20 cm long, glabrous or hirsute, the tubercle-based hairs c. 2 mm long on the abaxial surface and somewhat appressed, adaxial surface with scattered c. 1 mm long hairs; ligule reduced to short cilia, c. 1 mm long, collar hairs c. 3 mm long.

Panicle exserted, short (3-5 cm long), loosely racemose or paniculate, bearing 5-20 spikelets, pedicels scabrouspubescent; spikelets greenish, tinged with purple, 4-7-flowered, florets shorter than the glumes; glumes rather narrow, 11-18 mm long, subequal, firm, 5-7-nerved; lemma lanceolate to fusiform, with a whorl of rather long hairs (4-7 mm) in tufts just below the sinus and rather dense tufts on the margins just above the callus and otherwise glabrous; body of the lemma 4-5 mm long (including the callus of 1 mm); lateral lobes 8-10 mm long, fairly broad, with membranous margins, narrowing upwards into fine awns 2-4 mm long; central awn 12-28 mm long, geniculate after 4 mm, strongly twisted below and loosely spiralling above the bend, exceeding the lateral lobes by 2-15 mm; palea 5-6 mm long, lanceolate to oblanceolate, exceeding the sinus by c. 3 mm, tip 2-fid or truncate, minutely ciliolate on the upper part of the keels; anthers yellow-orange or purple, 1.5-2.5 mm long; grain c. 2.5 mm long.

Published illustration: Burbidge (1968) Australian grasses 2: pl. 16c.

Distribution:    N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas.   Introduced into New Zealand. Conservation status: native Flowering time: Sept. — Oct.

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