Common name
Coast Barbgrass
Curly Ryegrass

Derivation
Parapholis C.E.Hubb., Blumea Suppl. 3, 14 (1946); from the Greek para (near) and Pholiurus (a related grass genus, q.v.); alternatively, from the Greek para (beside) and pholis (scale), alluding to the collateral glumes.

incurva- Latin for bowed. Inflorescences curved spikes.

Published in
Blumea Suppl. 3: 14 (1946).

Habit
Annual, tufted. Culms geniculately ascending, 2–49 cm tall. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades 0.4–6.5 cm long, 0.4–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence solid, a raceme. Raceme 1, incurved, smoothly terete, bilateral, 1–11 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes, subcylindrical and excavated, 1–2 mm wide. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis, lax. Raceme internodes oblong, 2.5–5 mm long. Raceme internode tip transverse.

Spikelets
Spikelets sunken, solitary. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, without rhachilla extension, oblong, laterally compressed, 4–8.5 mm long, falling entire, deciduous with accessory branch structures.

Glumes
Glumes collateral, similar, firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate, 4–8.5 mm long, equalling upper glume, coriaceous, 3–5-nerved. Lower glume lateral nerves ribbed. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, 4–8.5 mm long, 110% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, coriaceous, 3–5-nerved. Upper glume lateral nerves ribbed. Upper glume apex acute.

Florets
Fertile lemma ovate, 3.4–5.5 mm long, membranous, 1(–3)-nerved. Lemma lateral nerves less than two thirds length of lemma. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma apex acute. Palea 100% of length of lemma. Anthers 3, 0.5–1.3 mm long. Grain with adherent pericarp, ellipsoid. Hilum elliptic. Endosperm liquid.

Continental Distribution:
Europe, Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia, North America, South America.

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

Western Australia: Austin, Eucla, Irwin, Drummond, Dale, Menzies, Warren, Eyre, Roe, Avon, Coolgardie. South Australia: Lake Eyre, Nullabor, Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South-eastern. New South Wales: North Coast, Central Coast, South Coast, Southern Tablelands, North-Western Slopes, Central-Western Slopes, South-Western Slopes, North-Western Plains, South-Western Plains, South Far Western Plains. Victoria: Murray Mallee, Lowan Mallee, Wimmera, Wannon, Grampians, Riverina, Midlands, Victorian Volcanic Plain, Otway Plain, Otway Range, Gippsland Plains, Wilsons Promontory, East Gippsland. Tasmania: Furneaux Group, North East, East Coast.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Panicoideae: Poeae

Notes
Introduced. Native to the Mediterranean and western Europe. Saline soils subject to flooding, or coastal sandy and rocky places. Flowers Sept.–Dec. Fruits Oct.–Dec.