Cane Wire-grass - native (Aristida ramosa)

Native. Perennial. C4.

Family. Poaceae (Grass family).

Identification:

it has a narrow but loose flower cluster

there is a single, awned lemma, longer than the glumes

the leaf blade is inrolled

the ligule is densely hairy, 0.5mm long, often with longer hairs at the sides.

It is an erect grass (to a metre). The lemmas divide into three awns. The awns are about a centimetre long. Uncommon.

As in other aristidas, the lemma divides into three awns. Cane Wire-grass differs from the much more common Brush Wire-grass in that Cane Wire-grass has shorter awns (about 1cm long), is an erect grass, and the flower clusters are not brush-like.

Arista: an awn; ramosa: having many branches.

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