Your gateway to a wide range of natural resources information and associated maps

Victorian Resources Online

Annual Beard-grass

Back | Salinity Indicator Plants Home | Common name home | Scientific name home | Photo Gallery | Glossary

Annual Beard-grass Photos
Family: Grasses (Poaceae)

Scientific Name:Polypogon monspeliensis
Image:  Annual Beard Grass plant
Annual Beard-grass
Photo: ex-Matters & Bozon

Common Name:

Annual Rabbits-foot Grass

Status:

Native to Europe, Asia and North Africa. Naturalised across Australia except in the Northern Territory.

Plant Description:

Annual and erect grass up to 90 cm tall. Leaves are hairless but slightly rough, flat to 20 cm long and 8 mm wide. Flower-head is a soft, cigar-shaped, dense panicle from 2-15 cm long and 1-3.5 cm wide, pale yellow-green with a silvery tinge to yellowish-brown with maturity. Flowers in spring.

Habitat:

Damp clay loams and clays.


RegionSalinity ClassWaterlogging Class
Mallee, Loddon MurrayS0, S1, S2W2, W3
Wimmera, Central & NorthernS0, S1, S2W1, W2, W3
Western, GippslandS0, S1, S2, S3W1, W2, W3

Comments:

Similar to the smaller Coast Beard-grass (
Polypogon maritimus) which can also be found in sandy saline soils. Coast Beard-grass differs from Annual Beard-grass in having leaves and flower-heads to 5 cm long only, and florets without awns [note: the glumes or husks surrounding the florets of both species are awned].

Annual Beard-grass Photos

Image:  Annual Beard Grass
Annual Beard-grass - plant
Photo: A J Brown
Image:  Annual Beard Grass - emerging flowerheads
Annual Beard-grass - emerging flowerheads.
Photo: A J Brown

Annual Beard-grass - mature flowerhead
Annual Beard-grass - mature flowerhead
Photo: A J Brown

Annual Beard-grass - mature flowerhead closeup
Annual Beard-grass - closeup of mature flowerhead
Photo: A J Brown

Annual Beard-grass - young flowerhead
Annual Beard-grass - young flowerhead
Photo: A J Brown

Page top