Prickly Spear-grass

Prickly Spear-grass photos

Family: Grass (Poaceae syn. Gramineae)

Scientific Name:

Austrostipa stipoides

Prickly Spear-grass plant
Photo: a J Brown

Status:

Native to the southern coasts of Australia and to New Zealand.

Plant Description:

Tufted perennial grass typically forming large tussocks with erect stems to 80 cm tall and smooth, non-hairy, closely inrolled leaves to 70 cm long and 1 mm wide with sharp tips.

Flower-heads, contracted panicles to 20 cm long. Spikelets with straw-coloured glumes and one floret. Florets 8-13 mm long, brown when mature and covered in short, spreading white hairs. Awns twice bent, 20-40 mm long.

Habitat:

Sea-cliffs and the edges of beach dunes and marshes. Generally growing in sandy soils.

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Western, Gippsland	S0, S1, S2, S3	W0, W1, W2

*confined to coastal environments

Comments:

Common from Port Phillip Bay to East Gippsland with an isolated occurrence at Nelson near the south Australian border. Withstands strong winds and salt-spray.

Prickly Spear-grass Photos

Spikelets of Prickly Spear-grass showing exserted anthers Photo: A J Brown	Prickly Spear-grass flower-heads Photo: A J Brown
Prickly Spear-grass spikelets Photo: A J Brown

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