Rytidosperma erianthum

Rytidosperma erianthum, the hill wallaby grass, is an erect, densely tufted perennial grass of the family Poaceae, growing up to about 0.7 m tall. Leaves are fine, rolled, and very narrow, reaching 25 cm long but less than 1 mm wide, arising from a basal tuft. The inflorescence is a compact, contracted panicle bearing 4 to 15 hairy spikelets; flowering occurs from September to December. As with other members of the genus, the lemmas bear two lateral lobes and a twisted, geniculate awn, and the florets are surrounded by tufts of long silky hairs that aid wind and animal dispersal. The species is endemic to south-eastern Australia, where it occurs in drier grasslands, open woodlands, and rocky slopes across New South Wales, Victoria, and adjoining regions. The type specimen was collected near The Rock, New South Wales, during Major Mitchell's 1836 expedition.