Phleum arenarium is a tufted annual, to 15cm tall. The inflorescence is a compact panicle to 5cm long, produced in spring. A weed of coastal heath in the Yallingup area. Native to southern Europe. P. pratense (timothy grass) is a tufted perennial to 1.5m tall. The inflorescence is a cylindrical panicle, 4-15cm long. Flowers in summer. A pasture grass, it is found naturalised along the Warren River. Native to the Mediterranean.
Phleum
pratense, GK
Phragmites
australis
(reed) is the reed used in Europe for thatching. It is a
perennial to 2m tall. The inflorescence is a silky, ovoid,
brown panicle 10-40cm long. Flowers in summer. It grows in
shallow water and boggy areas and is a cosmopolitan species
introduced to Western Australia and established in wetlands
at Albany.
Piptatherum
miliaceum
(rice millet) is a slender, open, cane-like perennial, to 1m
tall. The inflorescence is a golden-brown, open panicle,
20-40cm long. Flowers in spring. Found in disturbed sites
from Perth to Albany. Native to the
Mediterranean.
Phragmites
australis
, GK
There are seven
native and four introduced species of Poa in Western Australia. P. annua (winter grass) is a tufted annual, erect or procumbent,
2-30cm tall. The inflorescence is an open panicle of
greenish-purple spikelets, produced mostly from winter to
spring, but also sporadically all year. It is a common weed
of gardens and a scattered weed of disturbed areas from
Kalbarri to Balladonia. It is increasing as a weed of crops
and pastures in the southern agricultural region. Native to
Europe. P.
bulbosa
(bulbous meadowgrass) is a tufted perennial to 40cm tall.
The basal stems develop bulbous swellings. The inflorescence
is a compact, green, ovoid panicle. Flowers in spring and
summer. Occurs in wasteland and road verges in the Pemberton
area. Native to western Europe and the Mediterranean.
P.
infirma
(early winter grass) is very similar to P.
annua,
but is generally smaller, finer - not over 20cm tall - and
the spikelets are sessile, not stalked. The plants are also
often somewhat yellowish. Flowers in winter. Very poorly
recorded because of confusion with P.
annua.
A native of Europe. P.
pratensis
(Kentucky blue grass) is a rhizomatous perennial, to 90cm
tall. The inflorescence is a purplish, contracted open to
ovoid panicle, to 20cm long. Flowers in spring and summer.
Planted as a lawn grass. Sparingly naturalised around the
Avon and Helena Rivers. Native of Europe and temperate
Asia.
Poa annua , GK
Polypogon maritimus (coastal barbgrass) is a tufted annual to 15cm tall. The inflorescence is a dense, narrowly-ovate to oblong panicle to 5cm long. Flowers in spring and summer. A weed of coastal wetlands from Perth to Albany. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia. (It is closely related to P. monspeliensis but is always smaller, and the lemmas are unawned.) P. monspeliensis (annual barbgrass) is a tufted annual to 40cm tall. The inflorescence is a dense, narrowly-ovate to oblong panicle to 15cm long. The awns give it a soft, feathery appearance. Flowers in spring and summer. It is a quite common weed of disturbed wetlands, both fresh and brackish, from Kalbarri to Cape Arid. Native to Europe, North Africa and Asia. The native species, P. tenellus, can be confused with P. monspeliensis. P. viridis (water bent) is a stoloniferous perennial to 1m tall. The inflorescence is a dense, green panicle of several whorls of branches, produced in summer. It is a scattered weed of drains and verges from Northam to Albany, rarely recorded, probably because of its similarity to Agrostis. Native to the Mediterranean.
Polypogon
maritimus
, GK
Puccinellia ciliata (puccinellia) is a salt-tolerant, tufted perennial to 60cm tall. The inflorescence is an open-branched panicle of purplish-green flowers, produced in spring and summer. Widely planted for saltland reclamation and established on saline sites, including road and rail verges, throughout the wheatbelt and at the Nornalup Inlet. Native to Turkey.
Rostraria
cristata
(was Trisetaria
cristata and
Lophochloa
cristata)
(annual cat's tail) is a tufted annual to 40cm, flowering in
spring. Scattered in coastal heath and on road verges and
off-shore islands between Shark Bay and Esperance. Native to
the Mediterranean.
R.
pumila
(was Lophochloa
pumila)
(rough cat's tail) is a tufted perennial to 40cm tall. The
inflorescence is a dense panicle, produced in spring. It is
a common weed of grazed semi-arid woodlands and shrublands
from Shark Bay to Eucla. Native to the Mediterranean.
Schismus
arabicus
(araby grass) is a tufted annual to 40cm tall. The
inflorescence is a narrow, erect, greenish-purple panicle,
produced in spring. It is a common weed of pastoral lands,
including granite rocks, salt lakes and woodlands, from Lake
Barlee to Norseman. Native from the Mediterranean to India.
S.
barbatus
(Arabian grass) is a tufted annual to 40cm tall. The
inflorescence is a narrow, erect, greenish-purple panicle,
produced in spring. It is a common weed of pastoral lands
and disturbed sites from Moora to Meekatharra and
Ravensthorpe. Native to the Mediterranean.
Schismus
barbatus
, CG
Secale cereale (rye) is an erect annual to 1.5m tall. The inflorescence a bearded spike, 7-15cm, erect, then pendulous as it reaches maturity. Flowers in spring and summer. A sterile hybrid is extensively used for sand binding in construction areas and is commonly encountered around Perth but not truly naturalised. It is of European cultivated origin.
Secale
cereale
, GK
