Festuca asperula Vickery. Contr. New South Wales Natl Herb. 1: 12 (1939).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Pooideae. Tribe Poeae.
Type of Basionym or Protologue Information: Australia, Armidale: McKie 611 (K holo).
Recent synonyms: F. diuruscula auct.
Key references (books and floras): [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1 Gramineae (92 as Festuca duriuscula), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia, [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales (267), [2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia, Vol 44A. Poaceae 2 (282).
Illustrations: [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th edn (267), [2009]. A.Wilson (ed.), Flora of Australia 44A: Poaceae 2 (280, Fig.37).
Habit. Perennial. Stolons absent or present. Culms erect, 48–105 cm tall, 2–3 -noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous. Lateral branches simple. Leaf-sheaths smooth or scaberulous, glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 0.2–0.4 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform, conduplicate or involute or convolute, 10.5–30 cm long, 0.4–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle lanceolate, 10–30 cm long.
Spikelets. Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets many flowered, with at least 2 fertile florets (3–7), comprising 3–7 fertile floret(s), with diminished florets at the apex, oblong, laterally compressed, 10–19 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes dissimilar. Lower glume lanceolate, chartaceous, without keels, 1–3 -nerved. Upper glume oblong, 5.1–7 mm long, chartaceous, without keels, 3–5 -nerved. Upper glume surface asperulous.
Florets. Fertile lemma 6–8.5 mm long, without keel or keeled, 5 -nerved. Lemma apex awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn 1–5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -nerved. Palea apex dentate. Anthers 3.
Continental Distribution: Australasia.
Australian Distribution: New South Wales, Victoria.
New South Wales: Northern Tablelands, Southern Tablelands. Victoria: East Gippsland, Eastern Highlands, Midlands, Snowfields.
Notes. Endemic. S from Guyra, N.S.W. Usually in dryish eucalypt woodlands. Flowers Dec.-Feb.
