Slender Barb-Grass

Slender Barb-Grass photos

Family: Grass (Poaceae syn. Gramineae)

Scientific Name:

Parapholis strigosa

Slender Barb-grass - plant
Ex Matters & Bozon

Other Common Names:

Sea Hard-grass

Status:

Native to Western European coasts. Naturalised in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales

Plant Description:

Annual grass up to 40 cm tall. Leaves smooth and hairless to 6 cm long and flat or folded. Flower-heads are erect, cylindrical, green or purplish spikes to 20 cm long and rigidly erect or very slightly curved. Individual flowers (florets) are alternate on the spike and embedded within the stem (rachis) with pairs of thin pointed outer husks or glumes. Flowers mainly in spring.

Habitat:

Mainly sandy soils. Also on clay loams and clays.

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Western, Gippsland	S2	W2, W3

Comments:

Commonly found in sandhills. Also found in lignum swamps, bladder saltbush communities and coastal areas. Winter-spring growing grass, not grazed much by livestock.

Very similar to Coast Barb-grass (Parapholis incurva) and Common Barb-grass (Hainardia cylindrica) which also grow in saline environments. A simplified key to the Barb-grasses can be accessed here – Key to Barb-grasses.

Slender Barb-grass Photos

Slender Barb-grass - flower heads Photo: A J Brown	Slender Barb-grass - plant Photo: A J Brown
Slender Barb-grass - stems Photo: A J Brown

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