Its leaves are coarse, green, flat and narrow with upright flowering culms 2.5 m tall (Kimberley, 2011).

[2] This makes them a lot tougher and stronger compared to the introduced pampas grass which looks very similar but this is one way of identifying the difference.

Hermaphrodite Austroderia can be characterized by their large pollen-filled anthers and small gynoecia (the female part of the flower).

While female plants have flat, white or transparent, sterile anthers with larger gynoecia (Connor H. E, 1973).

A. richardii is a very hardy and tolerant grass species that is able to adapt to a wide variety of habitats including, streamside, wetlands, scrubland and coastal sand dunes.

It is most suited to moist or dry soils as well as sand so is able to grow effectively in the habitats mentioned.

It can tolerate very poor soils such as sand on coastal dunes and is able to thrive in frost-prone regions.

[5][6] A. richardii is suited to many different types of environmental conditions but prefers areas around water (Kimberley, 2011).

As well as having the ability to cut predators they are also of low palatability to introduced herbivores which means its taste is not very satisfying at all to the animals so they get no enjoyment out of eating it.

A. richardii is widely cultivated in temperate regions for its plumes of silvery white inflorescences that appear in summer and last until well into winter, and grow to 60 cm (24 in).

It acts as a good wind-break for stock as they grow in clumps and are very hardy plants that can withstand many weather conditions.

[2] Botanists will often remove the old stalks that are no longer flowering so that they have a more appealing look and act as an ornamental feature in a garden or in their natural habitats.