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Salt Blown-Grass

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Salt Blown-grass photos



Scientific Name:Lachnagrostis robusta (syn. Agrostis billardierei var. robusta)
Salt Blown Grass
Salt blown-grass tussock growing in saline water
Photo: A J Brown



Status:

Native to Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia.

Plant Description:

Tufted
annual to perennial grass to 75 cm tall with rough, inrolled leaves to 1 mm wide and to 30 cm long or more; ligule membranous, obtuse and 2-7 mm long.

Inflorescence a green or slightly purplish, broad, open but weeping panicle to 25 cm long with long slender branches and often remaining enclosed by the upper leaf sheath until late maturity. Panicles detach from the plant when mature and are blown away by the wind.

Spikelets small (3.5-5.5 mm long) on individual fine stalks but clustered towards the ends of the panicle branches; each spikelet with a single smooth and shiny (rough towards the upper end), hairless floret (except for hairs around its base) with a very fine, bent awn or bristle attached below its mid-back region but readily visible beyond the tip of the spikelet.

Habitat:

Confined to saline swamps and lake edges but widespread across the
Victorian Volcanic Plain and occasionally in the southern Wimmera.

RegionSalinity ClassWaterlogging Class
Wimmera, Western, GippslandS2, S3, S4W2, W3

Comments:

Similar appearance to
Common Blown-grass.

A simplified key to some of the species on salt-land can be accessed here - Blown-grass species key

Slat Blown-grass Photos

Salt Blown Grass - tussocks
Flowering Salt Blown-grass tussocks with Australian Salt-grass
Photo: A J Brown
Salt Blown Grass - mature panicle
Mature panicles of Salt Blown-grass
Photo: A J Brown

Salt Blown Grass - close
Salt blown-grass - panicles
Photo: A J Brown



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