Poaceae

MONOCOTYLEDONS

POACEAE - Grass Family

Melinis minutiflora (molasses grass) is an aromatic, stoloniferous perennial to 1.2m tall. The inflorescence is a loose, open panicle, 8-20cm long, produced in summer. Planted for erosion control and fodder, it is spreading in southern Western Australia and around Kununurra. Native to Africa. Regarded as a very serious weed in the Northern Territory.
M. repens (Natal redtop) (was Rhynchelytrum repens) is a tufted perennial to 50cm. The inflorescence is an open panicle covered in dense reddish hairs, aging to grey, produced in spring and summer. Occurs, and is increasing, on road and rail verges from Mingenew to York, common on gravelly soils on the eastern part of the coastal plain near Perth. Native to South Africa.

Melinis repens , RR

Mibora minima is a small, delicate, tufted annual to 10cm tall. The inflorescence is a slender, erect panicle. Flowers in summer. Found on sandy soils at Albany, but probably more widespread, it could easily be confused with a small Agrostis. Native to Europe.

Mibora minima , CG

Miscanthus sinensis is a robust, tufted perennial to 2m tall. The inflorescence is a large, erect panicle of numerous, straw-coloured, hairy racemes. Flowers in summer. Found beside the Albany Highway at Bedfordale. Native of eastern Asia.

Miscanthus sinensis , PH

Oryza sativa (rice) is an annual to 40cm tall. The inflorescence is a few-branched panicle. Flowers in summer. An important tropical grain crop, naturalised along the lower Ord River. Native to India. O. rufipogon is a perennial with a creeping rhizome, growing to 2.5m tall. The inflorescence is a loose, straw-coloured, few-branched panicle produced in summer. It occurs in black soils by swamps along the lower Ord River and hybridises freely with O. sativa. Native to India, Burma and Thailand

Oryza rufipogon , EH

Panicum (panics) is a very large genus of over 500 species in the tropics and subtropics. At least 17 species are found in Western Australia, five of them naturalised. The inflorescences are open to dense panicles. Consult specialist texts for exact identification. P. capillare (witchgrass) is a hairy, tufted annual to 1m tall, but usually smaller. It flowers in summer and autumn. Found occasionally on roadsides and in other disturbed sites from Perth to Esperance. Native to North America.
P. coloratum (coolah grass) is a rhizomatous perennial to 1.5m tall. The inflorescence is a dense panicle, flowering in winter. Found along the Gibb River Road. Native to tropical Africa. P. maximum (Guinea grass) (sometimes treated as Urochloa maxima) is a densely-tufted perennial to 3m tall, growing from a short, stout rhizome. Flowers in summer. A pasture grass found on disturbed sites and road verges in the south-west and around Kalumburu. Native to Africa. P. miliaceum (common millet) is a tufted annual to 1m tall. The inflorescence is a dense or open panicle and is produced in summer. It commonly grows from spilt grain on road verges, disturbed sites, gardens and rail lines from Perth to Albany. Native to east Asia.

Panicum capillare , PH

Parapholis incurva (coast barbgrass) is a low, spreading or erect annual to 20cm tall. The inflorescence is a slender, curved, cylindrical spike to 20cm, readily breaking into segments when mature. Flowers in spring. A common weed of off-shore islands, estuarine margins, saline flats and coastal limestone from Shark Bay to Israelite Bay and also common on saline sites in the wheatbelt. Native to the Mediterranean.

Parapholis incurva , GK

Paspalum are tufted rhizomatous or stoloniferous perennials. P. conjugatum (sourgrass) is a spreading perennial with leafy stolons, growing to 1m tall. The inflorescence is forked and 4-17cm long. Flowers in summer and winter. Found along irrigation channels and roadside ditches at Kununurra. Native to tropical America.
P. dilatatum (paspalum) is a tufted rhizomatous perennial to 1m tall. The inflorescence is a panicle to 20cm long, of 2 to 10 pendulous, spreading to semi-erect, purplish-green racemes, produced in spring and summer. A fodder grass, it is found in disturbed claypans (and in natural ones, where it is a serious weed), swamps, lawns, verges and pastures from Kalbarri to Albany and also at the Ord River. Native to South America.

P. dilatatum , RR

P. distichum (sometimes treated as P. paspalodes) (water couch) is a stoloniferous and rhizomatous sward-forming semi-aquatic perennial, to 50cm tall. The inflorescence is a panicle of two green racemes. Flowers in summer. Found in the wetter south-west, along freshwater creek-banks and in waterlogged pasture paddocks. Native to tropical areas - considered native in some parts of Australia but probably introduced to south-western Australia.

P. distichum , PH

P. plicatulum (plicatulum) is a rhizomatous perennial to 1m tall. The inflorescence is erect, to 15cm long, consisting of 2 to 10 racemes. Flowers in winter. Naturalised around Kununurra. Native to tropical America.
P. scrobiculatum (ditch millet) is a rhizomatous to stoloniferous tufted perennial to 1.5m tall. The inflorescence consists of two to four racemes, 9-25cm long. Flowers in winter and spring. It is found in creeklines and swamps scattered throughout the Kimberley. Native to India to south-east Asia, and possibly also to tropical Australia.

P. scrobiculatum , EH

P. urvillei (Vasey grass) is a densely tufted perennial to 2.5m tall. The inflorescence consists of 12 to 20 erect, close-pressed, purplish to grey-green racemes, 12-30cm long. Flowers during spring and summer. Found in disturbed wetlands, verges, drains and creeks from Perth to Albany. Native to South America. P. vaginatum (saltwater couch) is a semi-aquatic perennial with long creeping stolons to 50cm tall. The inflorescence is normally a three-branched, digitate panicle. Flowers in summer. Grows in summer-moist saline creeks in the wheatbelt, where it may provide some useful grazing, and on saline mud-flats in estuaries in southern Western Australia and at Dragon Tree Soak in the Great Sandy Desert. Native to tropical America - considered native in some parts of Australia but probably introduced to south-western Australia.

P. urvillei , PH

Poaceae continued

Back to home page.

Webmaster: Rod Randall

*Melinis minutiflora* (molasses grass) is an aromatic, stoloniferous perennial to 1.2m tall. The inflorescence is a loose, open panicle, 8-20cm long, produced in summer. Planted for erosion control and fodder, it is spreading in southern Western Australia and around Kununurra. Native to Africa. Regarded as a very serious weed in the Northern Territory. *M. repens* (Natal redtop) (was Rhynchelytrum repens) is a tufted perennial to 50cm. The inflorescence is an open panicle covered in dense reddish hairs, aging to grey, produced in spring and summer. Occurs, and is increasing, on road and rail verges from Mingenew to York, common on gravelly soils on the eastern part of the coastal plain near Perth. Native to South Africa.	*Melinis repens* , RR
*Mibora minima* is a small, delicate, tufted annual to 10cm tall. The inflorescence is a slender, erect panicle. Flowers in summer. Found on sandy soils at Albany, but probably more widespread, it could easily be confused with a small Agrostis. Native to Europe.	*Mibora minima* , CG
*Miscanthus sinensis* is a robust, tufted perennial to 2m tall. The inflorescence is a large, erect panicle of numerous, straw-coloured, hairy racemes. Flowers in summer. Found beside the Albany Highway at Bedfordale. Native of eastern Asia.	*Miscanthus sinensis* , PH
*Oryza sativa* (rice) is an annual to 40cm tall. The inflorescence is a few-branched panicle. Flowers in summer. An important tropical grain crop, naturalised along the lower Ord River. Native to India. *O. rufipogon* is a perennial with a creeping rhizome, growing to 2.5m tall. The inflorescence is a loose, straw-coloured, few-branched panicle produced in summer. It occurs in black soils by swamps along the lower Ord River and hybridises freely with O. sativa. Native to India, Burma and Thailand	*Oryza rufipogon* , EH
*Panicum* (panics) is a very large genus of over 500 species in the tropics and subtropics. At least 17 species are found in Western Australia, five of them naturalised. The inflorescences are open to dense panicles. Consult specialist texts for exact identification. *P. capillare* (witchgrass) is a hairy, tufted annual to 1m tall, but usually smaller. It flowers in summer and autumn. Found occasionally on roadsides and in other disturbed sites from Perth to Esperance. Native to North America. *P. coloratum* (coolah grass) is a rhizomatous perennial to 1.5m tall. The inflorescence is a dense panicle, flowering in winter. Found along the Gibb River Road. Native to tropical Africa. *P. maximum* (Guinea grass) (sometimes treated as Urochloa maxima) is a densely-tufted perennial to 3m tall, growing from a short, stout rhizome. Flowers in summer. A pasture grass found on disturbed sites and road verges in the south-west and around Kalumburu. Native to Africa. *P. miliaceum* (common millet) is a tufted annual to 1m tall. The inflorescence is a dense or open panicle and is produced in summer. It commonly grows from spilt grain on road verges, disturbed sites, gardens and rail lines from Perth to Albany. Native to east Asia.	*Panicum capillare* , PH
*Parapholis incurva* (coast barbgrass) is a low, spreading or erect annual to 20cm tall. The inflorescence is a slender, curved, cylindrical spike to 20cm, readily breaking into segments when mature. Flowers in spring. A common weed of off-shore islands, estuarine margins, saline flats and coastal limestone from Shark Bay to Israelite Bay and also common on saline sites in the wheatbelt. Native to the Mediterranean.	*Parapholis incurva* , GK
*Paspalum* are tufted rhizomatous or stoloniferous perennials. *P. conjugatum* (sourgrass) is a spreading perennial with leafy stolons, growing to 1m tall. The inflorescence is forked and 4-17cm long. Flowers in summer and winter. Found along irrigation channels and roadside ditches at Kununurra. Native to tropical America. *P. dilatatum* (paspalum) is a tufted rhizomatous perennial to 1m tall. The inflorescence is a panicle to 20cm long, of 2 to 10 pendulous, spreading to semi-erect, purplish-green racemes, produced in spring and summer. A fodder grass, it is found in disturbed claypans (and in natural ones, where it is a serious weed), swamps, lawns, verges and pastures from Kalbarri to Albany and also at the Ord River. Native to South America.	*P. dilatatum* , RR
*P. distichum* (sometimes treated as P. paspalodes) (water couch) is a stoloniferous and rhizomatous sward-forming semi-aquatic perennial, to 50cm tall. The inflorescence is a panicle of two green racemes. Flowers in summer. Found in the wetter south-west, along freshwater creek-banks and in waterlogged pasture paddocks. Native to tropical areas - considered native in some parts of Australia but probably introduced to south-western Australia.	*P. distichum* , PH
*P. plicatulum* (plicatulum) is a rhizomatous perennial to 1m tall. The inflorescence is erect, to 15cm long, consisting of 2 to 10 racemes. Flowers in winter. Naturalised around Kununurra. Native to tropical America. *P. scrobiculatum* (ditch millet) is a rhizomatous to stoloniferous tufted perennial to 1.5m tall. The inflorescence consists of two to four racemes, 9-25cm long. Flowers in winter and spring. It is found in creeklines and swamps scattered throughout the Kimberley. Native to India to south-east Asia, and possibly also to tropical Australia.	*P. scrobiculatum* , EH
*P. urvillei* (Vasey grass) is a densely tufted perennial to 2.5m tall. The inflorescence consists of 12 to 20 erect, close-pressed, purplish to grey-green racemes, 12-30cm long. Flowers during spring and summer. Found in disturbed wetlands, verges, drains and creeks from Perth to Albany. Native to South America. *P. vaginatum* (saltwater couch) is a semi-aquatic perennial with long creeping stolons to 50cm tall. The inflorescence is normally a three-branched, digitate panicle. Flowers in summer. Grows in summer-moist saline creeks in the wheatbelt, where it may provide some useful grazing, and on saline mud-flats in estuaries in southern Western Australia and at Dragon Tree Soak in the Great Sandy Desert. Native to tropical America - considered native in some parts of Australia but probably introduced to south-western Australia.	*P. urvillei* , PH