Common name
Glaucus Sweet Grass
Sweet Grass
Australian Sweetgrass

Derivation
Glyceria R.Br. Prodr. 179 (1810); from the Greek glykeros (sweet), referring to the seeds of G. fluitans and perhaps the leaves and roots of some other species.

declinata- from the Latin declino (bend aside). Racemes one-sided.

Published in
Fl. Normandie 3rd edn, 354 (1859).

Habit
Perennial, tufted. Culms erect or geniculately ascending or decumbent or prostrate, 10–85 cm tall, 1–3-noded, rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length, with 100% of their length closed, smooth, glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 4–9 mm long, obtuse or acute. Leaf-blades flat or conduplicate, 3–18 cm long, 1.5–8 mm wide, surface smooth, glabrous, margins scabrous.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle open or contracted, linear or lanceolate, equilateral or nodding, 4–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed or ascending, 1–3-nate, simple. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets
Spikelets ascending or appressed, solitary. Pedicels 1.5–4 mm long, glabrous. Fertile spikelets many flowered, comprising 8–15 fertile florets, with diminished florets at the apex, oblong, laterally compressed, compressed slightly, 13–27 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Glumes
Glumes persistent, similar. Lower glume oblong or ovate, 1.5–3.4 mm long, 60–80% length of upper glume, membranous, 1-nerved. Lower glume lateral nerves absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong or ovate, 2.5–5.5 mm long, 60–70% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, membranous, 1-nerved. Upper glume lateral nerves absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

Florets
Fertile lemma oblong, 4–6 mm long, membranous, much thinner above, 7-nerved. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex dentate, 3–5-fid, obtuse or acute. Palea 110% of length of lemma, 2-nerved. Palea keels narrowly winged. Palea apex dentate, 2-fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped. Lodicules 2, united, oblong, fleshy, truncate. Anthers 3, 1–1.5 mm long, yellow or purple. Grain with adherent pericarp, ellipsoid, laterally compressed, 1.5–2.3 mm long. Embryo 20% of length of grain. Hilum linear, 100% of length of caryopsis.

Continental Distribution:
Europe, Africa, Australasia, North America.

Australian Distribution:
Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania.

Western Australia: Drummond, Menzies. South Australia: Flinders Ranges, Northern Lofty, Southern Lofty, South-eastern. New South Wales: South Coast, Southern Tablelands, South-Western Plains. Victoria: Wannon, Midlands, Victorian Volcanic Plain, Eastern Highlands, Gippsland Plains. Tasmania: King Island, Furneaux Group, North West, North East, West Coast, Midlands, East Coast.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Pooideae: Meliceae

Notes
Introduced. Native to Europe. Grows in wet and seasonally inundated places. Flowers Aug.–Oct., Jan.–May. Fruits Nov.–Feb.