Psilurus is a genus of Eurasian and North African plants in the grass family. The only known species is Psilurus incurvus, native to the Mediterranean and southwest Asia from Portugal and Morocco to Pakistan and Uzbekistan. It is also naturalised in parts of Australia.
Small, delicate annuals to c. 40 cm tall. Culms very slender, smooth, glabrous, reddish-purple toward node; nodes 2–3, glabrous, reddish-purple.
Sheaths enclosing culm, shorter than internode, striate, glabrous, reddish-brown toward node; ligule membranous, to 0.5 mmlong, truncate; blade, involute, 1–3 cm long, glabrous, margin scabrous.
Inflorescence a spike, very slender, curved, 7–15 cm long; rachis scabrous, reddish-purple. Spikelets of 1 floret, sessile, often with the rachilla extended as a sterile projection 0.5 –1 mm long, partially embedded in rachis. Glume solitary (except for terminal spikelet), c. 0.5 mm long, subulate, membranous; terminal floret with lower glume <0.25 mm long, acute, upper glume c. 0.5 mm long. Lemma linear, 3–4 mm long, closing hollow along rachis, 1-keeled, keel scabrous, glabrous; awn terminal, slender, 3–6 mm long; palea narrow, 3–4 mm long, 2-nerved, nerves scabrous. Flowers in spring.
This plant is useful.
How to get rid of:
This can be eliminated using hand weeding and herbicides.
