Gastridium ventricosum (Gouan) Schinz & Thellung. Vierteljahrsschr. Naturf. Ges. Zürich 58: 39 (1913).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Pooideae. Tribe Poeae.
Basionym and/or Replacement Name: Agrostis ventricosa Gouan, Hort. Monsp. 39, 547 [Apr-June] (1762).
Type of Basionym or Protologue Information: France, Puy de St Loup: Coll?.
Key references (books and floras): [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1 Gramineae (150), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia, [2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia, Vol 44A. Poaceae 2 (239).
Illustrations: [1952] C.A.Gardner, Flora of Western Australia 1 Gramineae (149, Pl. 45).
Habit. Annual. Culms erect or decumbent, 10–60 cm tall. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or present. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 1–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 2–11 cm long, 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence solid, a panicle. Panicle lanceolate to oblong, 2–13 cm long, 0.5–1.2 cm wide.
Spikelets. Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret(s), without rachilla extension, elliptic or oblong, laterally compressed, 3–5 mm long.
Glumes. Glumes similar, firmer than fertile lemma, shiny. Lower glume lanceolate, scarious, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved. Upper glume lanceolate, 2.25–3.5 mm long, scarious, keeled, 1-keeled, 1 -nerved.
Florets. Fertile lemma 1–1.3 mm long, without keel, 5 -nerved. Lemma surface glabrous or indumented. Lemma apex erose, muticous or awned, 1 -awned. Median (principal) awn dorsal, 0–5 mm long overall, with a twisted column. Palea 2 -nerved. Anthers 3.
Continental Distribution: Europe, Africa, Temperate Asia, Australasia, Pacific, North America, and South America.
Australian Distribution: Tasmania.
Tasmania: North East, Midlands, East Coast.
Notes. Introduced. Occasional in Tas. Mediterranean, northern Africa and New Zealand. Wet areas. Flowers Nov.-Feb. Fruits Oct.-Mar.
