Derivation
Sphenopus Trin., Fund. Agrostogr. 135 (1822); from the Greek sphen (wedge) and pous (foot), in reference to the distally thickened pedicels.

divaricatus- from the Latin divarico (spread out). Inflorescence branches or culms regularly dividing into equal branches.

Published in
Fl. Germ. Excurs. 45 (1830).

Habit
Annual. Culms erect or decumbent, 2.5–30 cm tall. Mid-culm nodes black. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 0.6–4 mm long, obtuse or acute. Leaf-blades filiform, convolute, 0.8–5 cm long, 0.3–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, hooded.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Panicle open, ovate, 1.5–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2-nate, branching divaricately. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary. Pedicels cuneate, 2–4 mm long. Fertile spikelets many flowered, comprising 2–5 fertile florets, with diminished florets at the apex, elliptic, laterally compressed, 1.9–3 mm long, breaking up at maturity. Spikelets disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Glumes
Glumes persistent, dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate or orbicular, 0.1–0.4 mm long, 20–40% length of upper glume, hyaline, 0-nerved. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong, 0.5–1 mm long, 25–50% of length of adjacent fertile lemma, hyaline, 1-keeled, (0–)1-nerved. Upper glume apex emarginate or obtuse.

Florets
Fertile lemma ovate, 1.2–2 mm long, membranous, keeled above, 3-nerved. Lemma midnerve scabrous. Lemma apex truncate or obtuse, muticous. Palea keels scabrous, adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped. Anthers 3, oblong, 0.2–0.6 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Grain with adherent pericarp, oblong, 0.75–1.25 mm long. Embryo 20–25% of length of grain. Hilum punctiform.

Continental Distribution:
Europe, Africa, Temperate Asia, Australasia.

Australian Distribution:
South Australia: Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Pooideae: Poeae

Notes
Introduced. Salt swamps and lakes and sandy soils. Flowers May–Oct.