Common name
Curly Windmill Grass
Spider Grass
Umbrella Grass

Derivation
Enteropogon Nees, in Lindl., Nat. Syst. Bot. 2nd edn, 448 (1836); from the Greek enteron (intestine) and pogon (a beard), perhaps alluding to the beards on the callus or in the axils of the spikes.

acicularis- from the Latin acus (needle), -ulus (diminutive) and -are (pertaining to). Leaf-blades sharp-pointed.

Published in
Austral. J. Bot. Supp. 5: 31 (1972).

Common synonyms
Chloris acicularis Lindl.
Chloris moorei F.Muell.

Habit
Perennial, tufted. Culms erect or geniculately ascending, robust, 25–100 cm tall, 3–6-noded, without nodal roots or rooting from lower nodes. Lateral branches simple or branched. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths eglandular or glandular. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 1 mm long. Leaf-blades curled, flat, 5–20 cm long, 1.8–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence digitate, with spicate branches. Spikes (7–)9–14(–22), spreading, unilateral, 4.5–20(–25) cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis, regular.

Spikelets
Spikelets appressed, solitary. Fertile spikelets at least 3-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, with diminished florets at the apex, lanceolate, laterally compressed, 7–11 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus 0.6–1 mm long. Floret callus evident, 1 mm long, pubescent, obtuse.

Glumes
Glumes persistent, similar, thinner than fertile lemma, gaping. Lower glume linear, 1.8–5 mm long, 50% length of upper glume, membranous, 1-nerved, midnerve scaberulous. Lower glume lateral nerves absent. Lower glume apex acuminate, mucronate or awned. Upper glume linear, 4.5–11 mm long, 100–130% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, membranous, 1-nerved, midnerve scaberulous. Upper glume lateral nerves absent. Upper glume apex acuminate, awned.

Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate, dorsally compressed, 5.5–9.2 mm long, cartilaginous or coriaceous, 3-nerved. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex entire or dentate, 2-fid, acuminate,1-awned. Median (principal) awn from a sinus, 8–22 mm long overall, 210% of length of lemma. Palea 75% of length of lemma, 2-nerved. Palea apex obtuse or acute. Apical sterile florets 1(–2) in number. Apical sterile florets linear, 3–5 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas acute, 1-awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 9–12 mm long. Anthers 3, 1 mm long. Grain flattened, concavo-convex.

Continental Distribution:
Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria.

Western Australia: Gardner, Canning, Giles, Helms, Fortescue, Ashburton, Carnarvon, Irwin. Northern Territory: Victoria River, Central Australia North, Central Australia South. South Australia: North-western, Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens Basin, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Southern Lofty. Queensland: Burke, North Kennedy, South Kennedy, Port Curtis, Leichhardt, Burnett, Darling Downs, Moreton, Gregory North, Gregory South, Mitchell, Warrego, Maranoa. New South Wales: Central Coast, North-Western Slopes, Central-Western Slopes, South-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains, North Far Western Plains, South Far Western Plains. Victoria: Murray Mallee, Wimmera, Riverina.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Chloridoideae: Cynodonteae

Notes
Endemic. The distribution data above is more complete than the map.

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