Flora of North America species comparison

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Rytidosperma penicillatum

hairy danthonia, hairy oat grass, hairy wallaby grass, poverty grass, purple awn wallaby grass
Habit Plants loosely cespitose to somewhat spreading, shortly rhizomatous.
Culms

30-90 cm, erect, mostly smooth and glabrous, scabrous-pubescent immediately below the inflorescence, branching extravaginal, the new shoots with scaly cataphylls.
Leaves

mostly basal, greatly exceeded by the culms, flag leaf blades usually not reaching the inflorescence;

sheaths densely hairy or glabrous, with apical tufts of hairs, apical hairs 1-3.5 mm;

ligules 0.1-1 mm;

blades to 30 cm long and 5 mm wide, flat, folded, or rolled, pubescent or glabrous.
Inflorescences

4-10 cm, racemose or paniculate, contracted;

pedicels much shorter than the spikelets.
Spikelets

9-15(18) mm, longer than the rachis internodes, with 5-10 florets;

rachilla segments 0.2-0.5 mm.
Glumes

8-14(17.5) mm, subequal, lanceolate, sometimes with scattered hairs;

lower glumes (5)7-9(11)-veined;

upper glumes 5-7(9)-veined;

calluses 0.5-1.2 mm, longer than wide, with marginal tufts of hairs usually reaching the lower lemma hairs;

lemma bodies (2)2.5-4 mm, 9-veined, lower row of hairs continuous or with weak central tufts, hairs of the marginal tufts not or just reaching the upper row of hairs, upper row of hairs composed of 2 marginal tufts, sometimes with 2 additional scanty tufts between, hairs reaching or slightly exceeding the base of the awn;

lobes 5-13 mm, aristate;

awns (7)9-16 mm;

paleas 3-6 mm, exceeding the lemma sinuses, emarginate, intercostal region glabrous or scabrous, margins glabrous or sparsely long-hairy, veins ciliate;

anthers 0.4-2.5 mm.
Caryopses

1.8-2.5(3) mm long, 0.8-1.1(1.6) mm wide;

embryos 0.7-1(1.5) mm;

hila 0.4-0.5(0.7) mm.
2n

= unknown.

Rytidosperma penicillatum
Distribution
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Rytidosperma penicillatum is endemic to Australia and has been introduced to New Zealand as well as North America. Although considered a poor quality forage, it was introduced and grown experimentally in several states under the name Danthonia pilosa R. Br. [= R. pilosa (R. Br.) Connor & Edgar]. It has become well-established in northern California and southwestern Oregon, mainly in coastal areas. Since it does well on dry, nutrient depleted soils and competes well with more desirable species, it is considered a troublesome pest.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 25, p. 310.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Danthonioideae > tribe Danthonieae > Rytidosperma
Sibling taxa
R. biannulare, R. racemosum
Name authority (Labill.) Connor & Edgar
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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