Bristly Wallaby-grass

Bristly Wallay-grass Photos

Family: Grass (Poaceae syn. Gramineae)

Scientific Name:

Rytidosperma caespitosum (syn. Austrodanthonia setacea)

Bristly Wallaby-grass
Photo: A J Brown

Other Common Names:

Small-flower Wallaby-grass, Mulga Wallaby-grass.

Status:

Native to Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Tasmania.

Plant Description:

Perennial tussock grass to 70 cm, with fine, linear leaves which are usually in-rolled and covered with scattered hairs (particularly towards the base of the blades). Ligule a ciliate rim (0.5 mm long) with a few longer hairs at the sides. The pale greenish to purplish flower-head is rather contracted and 3 – 8 cm long with 10 or more spikelets made up of 4 – 10 florets. The individual florets have two lateral rows of long hairs on the back and a hairy base. The body of the floret is usually 2 – 3.5 mm long, ending in two 6 – 12 mm long acuminate lobes with a bent and twisted, rather fine awn arising from the notch between the lobes. Flowers mainly in spring.

Habitat:

Found growing in a wide range of soils on slopes and flats. Often occurs in unimproved pastures, found on moderately saline soils, and sometimes associated with scalds.

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Mallee, Loddon Murray, Central and Northern, Wimmera, Western, Gippsland	S0, S1, S2	W0, W1

Comments:

There are many species of Wallaby-grass but only a few grow in wet environments and most are not salt tolerant. Bristly Wallaby-grass is a very variable species with some forms approaching Common Wallaby-grass. Bristly Wallaby-grass usually has smaller florets than Common Wallaby-grass but the bristles (long acuminate points) on its floret lobes are longer (4 – 6 mm long).

Bristly Wallaby-grass

Bristly Wallaby-grass - young flowerhead Photo: A J Brown	Bristly Wallaby-grass - mature flowerhead Photo: A J Brown
Bristly Wallaby-grass - spikelets Photo: A J Brown

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