Common Wallaby-grass - native (Rytidosperma caespitosum)

Native. Perennial. C3.

Family. Poaceae (Grass family).

Moderately common.

Alternative names: Danthonia caespitosa, Austrodanthonia caespitosa.

Identification:

• Common Wallaby-grass is a tufted grass; there is usually a moderately large tuft of basal leaves
• the flower cluster is not widely spreading.
• the glumes are longer than the lemmas
• the lemmas are forked into two lobes with an awn rising bewteen the lobes
• there are three complete rows of hairs on the back of the lemmas
• the leaves are flat or rolled
• the ligules are a row of hairs 1-2mm long, with longer hairs at the side.

It is taller than many of the wallaby grasses, growing to well over 50cm. The lemma is long (3.5-5.5mm) and squarish. The side lobes taper into a long bristle.

The tussocky growth, the height, the long squarish lemmas with complete rows of hairs on the lemma are characteristic.

caespitosum: tufted, referring to the leaves.