Five-awned Spear-grass - native (Pentapogon quadrifidus)

Identification:

• the flowers are in a contacted cluster
• the 2 glumes are longer than the lemma body, and shorter than the lemma body plus awns
• the single lemma is 5-awned, with a longer central awn
• the leaves are flat or rolled
• the ligule is membranous, truncate and to 2mm long.

The 5-awned lemmas make this grass easy to recognise. The central awn is longest (10-25mm). The lemmas are two-lobed, and each lobe divides into two unequal awns.

Uncommon.

Penta: five; pogon: beard, referring to the five-awned lemmas; quadrifidus: cleft half-way into four segments.