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Weed Identification
Australia > > Cane Needlegrass
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Cane Needlegrass
Nassella hyalina |
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THIS PLANT IS ON THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ALERT LIST
http://www.weeds.gov.au/weeds/lists/alert.html
Alternative Name(s): Stipa hyalina.
Family: Poaceae.
Form: Grass
Origin: Native of Argentina, south eastern Brazil and Uruguay.
Flowers/Seedhead: Seedhead a contracted panicle to about 20 cm long; glumes 9–12 mm long; end of lemma near callus with hairs, callus about 0.7 mm long; awns twice bent. Flowers spring and summer.
Description: Tufted perennial grass to 1.5 m high. Leaf blades to 4 mm wide; ligule to 2 mm long.
Distinguishing features: Distinguished by nodes without hairs; glumes translucent to straw-coloured; cylindrical crown (corona) at the top of the lemma around the base of the awn, lemma 3.5–5 mm long, awns 3.5–4 cm long.
Dispersal: Spreads by movement of seeds produced in the seedheads and inside the stems above the nodes of flowering shoots.
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Seedhead, node & ligule Thomastown, Vic, Dec.Photos J. R. Hosking. Illustration adapted from Flora of Victoria
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Notes: Uncommon in New South Wales but apparently reasonably common in the outer northern and western suburbs of Melbourne. Minor weed of neglected and urban land. Generally avoided by stock but will be eaten if more palatable grasses are not present.
References:Plant Protection Quarterly. N.Walsh, 1998, Vol. 13, pages 59–62. Plant Protection Quarterly. D. McLaren et al., 1998, Vol. 13, pages 62–70. Flora of NSW. G. Harden (ed), Vol. 4, 1993, pages 638–639.
Web References: Search Australian web sites for further information on this weed.
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Seed & twisted awn. |
Seeds |
