Microlaena stipoides

Microlaena stipoides grows to a height of approximately 0.7 metres and produces delicate, drooping stalks of spikelets.[3] The naked caryopses (grains) are similar in shape to rice grains but smaller, approximately 5 mm long, with a mass that varies widely, ranging from 1 mg to 7 mg.[5][6][8] The grass grows best in acidic soils and is drought- and frost-tolerant.[9] In Australia it is found in areas of medium to high rainfall (above 600 mm per annum) and the leaves normally remain green all year.[10]

The 1889 book 'The Useful Native Plants of Australia’ records that common names included "Weeping Grass" and "Meadow Rice Grass." It also states that it is "A perennial grass, which keeps beautifully green all through the year. For this reason its growth for pasturage should be encouraged, particularly as it will live on poor soil, provided it be damp. It is considered nearly as valuable as Kangaroo grass, and in the cool season more so. Mr. Bacchus finds it to bear overstocking better than any other native grass, and to maintain a close turf. It is valued in New Zealand. High testimony of the value of this grass is also given by Ranken, after experiments extending over many years. It, however, does not always freely seed."[11]

Microlaena stipoides produces nutritious pasture for grazing livestock with productivity of approximately 2 to 7 tonnes per hectare and digestibility of approximately 60–70%.[8][9][12] Its drought-tolerance has led to an increasing interest in its use for turf to replace exotic species, and it is being researched as a perennial grain crop.[6][7][13][14] The grains are high in protein and small-scale commercial production for human consumption has commenced.[10]