Weed Identification

Australia > > Longstyle feather grass

Longstyle feather grass

Pennisetum villosum

Alternative Name(s): Feathertop, White Foxtail.

Family: Poaceae.

Form: Grass

Origin: Native of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen.

Flowers/Seedhead: Seedhead is a dense spike 2–12 cm long and to 2 cm wide. Flowers summer and autumn.

Description: Tufted rhizomatous perennial grass to 90 cm high. Leaves to 6 mm wide and to 30 cm long; ligule a fringe of hairs to 2 mm long.

Distinguishing features: Distinguished by cylindrical seedhead; spikelets 9–14 mm long and surrounded at base by light green or white (rarely purplish) bristles 3–7 cm long, inner bristles feather-like, bristles not joined at the base.

Dispersal: Spread by rhizomes and seed.

Confused With: Other Pennisetum species.


Cylindrical seedheads with feathery bristles
Oakey, Qld, May

Notes: Originally introduced as an ornamental, now widespread and locally common on roadsides and neglected land. Unpalatable to stock and increases in infested pasture. This grass is also naturalised in New Zealand, North and South America, Asia, South Africa, Italy and the Azores.

References:

    Noxious Weeds of Australia. W. Parsons and E. Cuthbertson, 1992, pages 121–123.

Web References: Search Australian web sites for further information on this weed.

White mature heads
Dubbo, NSW, March
photo J.J. Dellow
Infestation, Duri, NSW, March
photo J.R.Hosking

This weed has been included in the WEEDeck field guide as card G20

More information about WEEDeck is available from Sainty & Associates Pty. Ltd.

 

Australia > > Longstyle feather grass

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