Eragrostis speciosa (Roem. & Schult.) Steud. APNI* 
Description: Tufted perennial to 1.2 m high; culms often branched.
Leaves with sheath smooth, glabrous; orifice sometimes with rigid hairs 1–3 mm long; ligule a ciliate rim with hairs < 0.5 mm long; blade rolled, c. 1 mm wide, glabrous, upper surface scabrous.
Inflorescence contracted, often interrupted, 26–35 cm long, 0.5–3 cm wide; rachis smooth, glabrous; branches erect, scabrous; pedicels 0.5–2.5 mm long, scabrous. Spikelets 9–21 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, densely overlapping, florets 9–69; rachilla persistent with lemmas deciduous, paleas persistent. Glumes 1–1.5 mm long, acute, keeled, glabrous. Lemmas c. 1.5 mm long, acute, keeled, smooth, glabrous. Palea c. 50% as long as lemma, 2-keeled, glabrous, keels scabrous.
Flowering: in response to rain or flooding.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in sandy floodways and ephemeral creek beds of the semi-arid.
NSW subdivisions: CWS, NWP, NFWP
Other Australian states: Qld W.A. N.T.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & K. L. McClay
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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