Citation: Kunth, Rev. Gram. 67 (1829).

Synonymy: Agrostis virginica L., Sp. Pl. 63 (1753). , Sporobolus virginicus

Common name: Salt couch.

Description:
Stems leafy, ascending from a thick creeping perennial scaly rhizome; leaves more or less spreading, rigid, inrolled-subulate, almost distichous (appearing opposite owing to the alternate long and short nodes); ligule very short, ciliate.

Panicle spike-like, lead-coloured, rarely pale, 1-6 cm long, 4-6 mm broad; glumes unequal, keeled, the first c. 2 mm long, the second c. 3 mm long; lemma similar to and about as long as the 84nd; the 2 nerves of the palea very close together.

Published illustration: Gardner (1952) Flora of Western Australia 1:pl. 48a.

Distribution:  Usually grows in salt marshes and on sand hills near the coasts, but also in areas of high salinity inland. S.Aust.: LE, NU, FR, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE.   All mainland States.   Occurs in all temperate continents. Conservation status: native Flowering time: throughout the year.

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

Biology: Two varieties were recognised for S.Aust. by Simon (1978) Tech. Bull. Bot. Br. Qld 3. Var. minor Bailey ex B. Simon, Austrobaileya 2:22 (1984) differs from the typical variety in having leaves up to 1 mm broad. Their distribution within S.Aust. is not available.

Author: Not yet available