Austrostipa S.W.L. Jacobs & J. Everett, Telopea 6: 5:579-595 (1996). TYPE SPECIES: Austrostipa mollis S.W.L. Jacobs & J. Everett

Morphological (Everett 1990) and molecular data (Hsiao, in review) concur in showing that the southern hemisphere taxa traditionally included in Stipa form a monophyletic group, with the exception that Anemanthele appears to be distinct from the remainder of the taxa. Publication of Austrostipa reflects this knowledge. Its taxa and their geographic distribution are listed below, in alphabetical order. Asterisked species are available in various countries as ornamentals. The information is taken from Vickery et al. (1986), Jacobs et al. (1989), and Jacobs and Everett (1996).

To quote Jacobs and Everett (p. 584), "Austrostipa is closest to Achnatherum (Barkworth and Everett 1986; Everett 1990); Barkworth 1993) but differs from that genus in having the mature florets generally darker and tougher in texture, the lemma margins overlapping, and the callus longer, tougher and usually more pungent. Not all species of Austrostipa have all of these charactersitics, but any one species has most of them. Austrostipa has very variable lemma epidermal characteristics.

Stipa sensu stricto is characterized by large (often > 1 cm long) chartaceous spikelets with a long (frequently > 10 cm long) plumose terminal awn and a comparatively short callus, and lemma epiderma silica bodies square, rectangular, or, rarely, oval."