Citation: Hughes, Kew Bull. 1921:15 (1921).

Synonymy: S. pubescens R. Br. var. ?effusa Benth., Fl. Aust. 7:750 (1878).

Common name: Variable spear-grass.

Description:
Stems delicate, to 80 cm high; nodes glabrous; sheaths tardily loose, pubescent to glabrous (rarely villous); ligule obliquely truncate, 0.5-1 mm long (to 2 mm long if continuous with the sheath margin); auricles hirsute; blades to 25 cm long, 0.5-0.6 mm diam. (rolled), occasionally to 4 mm wide if expanded, glabrous to hirsute.

Panicle to 35 cm long, sparse, usually contracted, to 4 cm wide (excluding the awns); glumes slightly gaping, acuminate; lower glume 10-15 mm long; upper glume 8.5-12.5 mm long; floret elliptic, 4.5-6.5 (rarely to 7) mm long (excluding the awn); lemma black-brown, granular (tuberculate at the apex), with sparse erect white hairs, sparser at the apex; coma obscure, to 1 mm long; callus 1.6-2.2 mm long, straight and sharp; awn 5-7 (rarely to 9) cm long, falcate; column 11-14 mm long, pubescent to villous.

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 146.

Distribution:  Uncommon in S.Aust.   W.Aust. Conservation status: native Flowering time: mainly Aug. — Feb.

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

Biology: The epithet ('variabilis') has been used widely to refer to almost all species with falcate awns.

Author: Not yet available