Pentapogon Prodr. 173 (1810).
Derivation:. From the Greek pente (five) and pogon (beard), referring to five-awned lemmas.
Key references (keys and floras):. G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7: 572–573 (1878); J.P.Jessop, Flora of South Australia 4: 1922–1923 (1986); B.K.Simon, Key to Australian Grasses 143 (1993); S.W.L.Jacobs and K.L.McClay, Flora of New South Wales 4: 586–587 (1993); N.G.Walsh, Flora of Victoria 2: 491 (1994); D.I.Morris, Student's Flora of Tasmania 4B: 275–276 (1994); E.Edgar and H.E.Connor, Flora of New Zealand 5: 285(2000); D.Sharp and B.K.Simon, AusGrass (2002); J.P.Jessop, Grasses of South Australia 235 (2006); S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales, 4th ed, 335 (2008); A.Wilson (ed.), Flora of Australia 44A: Poaceae 2: 233–235 (2009).
W.D.Clayton & S.A.Renvoize, Genera Graminum (1986), genus (203).
Native, endemic. 1 species. SA, NSW, Vic, and Tas. Also New Zealand (introduced).
Habit. Annual or perennial, tufted. Leaf blades narrow. Ligule an unfringed membrane.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence paniculate.
Spikelets. Spikelets laterally compressed, pedicelled; with rachilla terminating in a floret. Fertile spikelets laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes.
Glumes. Glumes unequal to more or less equal, (the longer) exceeding florets, (the longer) long relative to adjacent lemmas (exceeding them), hairless (scabrid, especially on the keels), pointed, shortly awned or awnless, keeled, similar (membranous, acuminate). Lower glume 1(–3) nerved. Upper glume 3(–5) nerved.
Florets. Fertile florets 1. Lemmas decidedly firmer than glumes (leathery), becoming indurated to not becoming indurated, incised, deeply cleft (deeply incised into 4 lanceolate, awn-tipped lobes, with a long median awn), awned, 5 nerved, not keeled. Awns 5, the median different in form from laterals, dorsal, geniculate, hairless (scabrid), much longer than body of lemma. Lateral awns shorter than median (straight, slender). Palea relatively long or conspicuous and relatively short or very reduced, tightly clasped by lemma, 2 nerved, 2 keeled. Lodicules 2. Stamens 3. Stigmas 2. Grain small, terete. Hilum short. Embryo small. Endosperm liquid.
Kranz Anatomy. C3.
Habitat. Mesophytic, xerophytic. Open woodland.
Classification. Pooideae; Poeae.
Notes. A segregate from Calamagrostis (Clayton and Renvoize,1986).
Types Species. P. billardieri R.Br., nom.illeg.
Biogeographic Element. Clifford & Simon 1981, Simon & Jacobs 1990: Endemic.