''Astrebla pectinata'', commonly known as barley Mitchell grass, is a herb of the family

Poaceae Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivate ...

from the order

Poales The Poales are a large order (biology), order of flowering plants in the monocotyledons, and includes families of plants such as the Poaceae, grasses, bromeliads, Juncaceae, rushes and Cyperaceae, sedges. 14 plant families are currently recogniz ...

Description

''Astrebla pectinata'' grows to . The flowers are

pollinated Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example bees, beetles or butterflies; bird ...

by wind and are

hermaphrodite A hermaphrodite () is a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphroditic. The individuals of many ...

s, having both male and female organs.

Distribution and habitat

It mostly prefers moist soil and also can grow in partial shade. The species is considered to be the most balanced and economically important herbage in the semiarid areas of eastern Australia. It is a warm-season

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

grass. It is palatable to livestock even when it is dry.

Ecology

It is palatable to livestock even when it is dry.

References

Chloridoideae Flora of Australia Plants described in 1838 Taxa named by John Lindley {{Chloridoideae-stub