Kneed Wallaby-grass - native (Rytidosperma geniculatum)

Native. Perennial. C3.

Family. Poaceae (Grass family).

Alternative names: Danthonia geniculata, Austrodanthonia geniculata.

Identification:

• the flowers form a compact cluster
• the glumes are longer than the lemmas
• the lemmas are forked into two lobes with an awn rising bewteen the lobes
• the lemma back is uniformly covered with hairs
• the leaves are narrow and cylindrical
• the ligules have a row of hairs 1mm long.

It is a slender grass, growing usually to 40-50cm. The stalk is often bent, hence "kneed".

Its lemmas resemble those of Red-anther Wallaby-grass. Kneed Wallaby-grass is a smaller, much more slender plant, with a more contracted flower cluster, and its anthers are not a showy red-orange.

The slender habit, the lemmas with uniformly scattered hairs, and the often bent stalk are distinctive.

genus: knee, ulus diminutive; ata: possessing, referring to the bent stalk.