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Central Australian Grass Identification Guide

Following some overwhelming support from members and other plant enthusiasts, Land for Wildlife are working to develop a grass identification guide for central Australia (yet to be formally titled).

The information is to be sourced from an excellent online resource called AusGrass2, in combination with grass samples collected from Land for Wildlife member properties and other areas in the Alice Springs region. We have been able to seek permission from the Queensland Herbarium, who now manages the site, to use the information to develop a regional grass guide for central Australia.

This guide will help our members to identify the invasive grasses and distinguish them from the local native grasses, as well as learn about the diversity of grasses in central Australia.

Cymbopogon ambiguus

To help us along with producing a complete booklet, we are still seeking samples from the following native and exotic species (For the plant experts among you, let us know if you know where to find any of them):

Blowngrass Agrostis avenacea
Grey-beard Grass, Long Grey-beard Grass Amphipogon caricinus
Aristida arida
Cane Grass Three-awn, Two-gland Three-awn Aristida biglandulosa
Needle-leaved Three-awn Aristida capillifolia
Bunched Kerosene Grass, Mulga Grass Aristida contorta
Jericho Three-awn Aristida jerichoensis var. subspinulifera
Feathertop Wiregrass Aristida latifolia
Rock Three-awn Aristida latzii
Flat-awned Three-awn Aristida nitidula
Brush Three-awn, Brush Wiregrass Aristida obscura
Weeping Mitchell Grass Astrebla elymoides
Barley Mitchell Grass Astrebla pectinata
Austrostipa centralis
Austrostipa feresetacea
Rough Speargrass Austrostipa scabra subsp. scabra
Wild Oat Avena fatua
Desert Bluegrass Bothriochloa ewartiana
Birdwood Grass Cenchrus setiger
Comb Chloris Chloris pectinata
Feathertop Rhodes Grass, Furry Grass, Feather Finger-grass Chloris virgata
Feathertop Rhodes Grass, Furry Grass, Feather Finger-grass Chloris virgata
Golden Beard Grass, Ribbon Grass, Weeping Grass, Spear Grass Chrysopogon fallax
Northern Barley Grass Critesion murinum subsp. glaucum
Silkyheads, Lemon-scented Grass Cymbopogon obtectus
Sheda Grass Dichanthium annulatum
Dwarf Bluegrass Dichanthium sericeum subsp. humilius
Silky Umbrella Grass, Spider Grass Digitaria ammophila
Umbrella Grass, Finger Panic Grass Digitaria coenicola
Comb Finger Grass Digitaria ctenantha
Echinochloa crus-galli
Japanese Millet Echinochloa esculenta
Conetop Nine-awn, Clelands Nine-awn Enneapogon clelandii
Jointed Nine-awn, Limestone Oat-grass, Jointed Bottlewasher Enneapogon cylindricus
Enneapogon eremophilus
Rock Nine-awn Enneapogon oblongus
Curly Windmill Grass, Umbrella Grass, Spider grass Enteropogon acicularis
Eragrostis A51007 Limestone
Swamp Canegrass Eragrostis australasica
Neat Lovegrass, Clustered Lovegrass Eragrostis basedowii
Fairy Grass, Cumings Lovegrass Eragrostis cumingii
Mallee Lovegrass Eragrostis dielsii
Clustered Lovegrass, Close-headed Lovegrass Eragrostis elongata
Small-flowered Lovegrass Eragrostis kennedyae
Purple Lovegrass Eragrostis lacunaria
Drooping Lovegrass Eragrostis leptocarpa
Eragrostis olida
Weeping Lovegrass Eragrostis parviflora
Small Lovegrass Eragrostis pergracilis
Neverfail, Narrow-leaf Neverfail Eragrostis setifolia
Knottybutt Neverfail Eragrostis xerophila
Three-awn Wanderrie Eriachne aristidea
Woollybutt Wanderrie Eriachne helmsii
Pretty Wanderrie Eriachne pulchella subsp. pulchella
Eight Day Grass, Common Fringe-rush Fimbristylis dichotoma
Fimbristylis microcarya
Bunch Speargrass, Black Speargrass Heteropogon contortus
Rough-stemmed Flinders Grass Iseilema dolichotrichum
Bull Flinders Grass Iseilema macratherum
Small Flinders Grass Iseilema membranaceum
Red Flinders Grass Iseilema vaginiflorum
Umbrella Canegrass Leptochloa digitata
Small-flowered Beetle Grass Leptochloa fusca subsp. fusca
Brown Beetle Grass Leptochloa fusca subsp. muelleri
Beetle Grass Leptochloa fusca subsp. uninervia
Natal Red Top, Red Natal Grass Melinis repens
Winged Chloris Oxychloris scariosa
Giant Panic Panicum antidotale
Hairy Panic Panicum effusum
Pepper Grass Panicum laevinode
Bristle-brush Grass Paractaenum refractum
Clements Paspalidium Paspalidium clementii
Knottybutt Paspalidium, Slender Panic Paspalidium constrictum
Warrego Summer Grass Paspalidium jubiflorum
Bunch Paspalidium Paspalidium rarum
Kikuyu Pennisetum clandestinum
Pennisetum pedicellatum subsp. unispiculum
Comet Grass Perotis rara
Annual Beardgrass Polypogon monspeliensis
Katoora Sporobolus actinocladus
Australian Dropseed Sporobolus australasicus
Sporobolus blakei
Sporobolus scabridus
Tall Oat Grass, Oat Kangaroo Grass, Native Oat Grass, Swamp Kangaroo Grass Themeda avenacea
Window Mulga Grass, Mulga Mitchell Grass, Mulga Grass Thyridolepis mitchelliana
Spurred Arrowgrass Triglochin calcitrapum
Hard Spinifex, Lobed Spinifex Triodia basedowii
Hard Spinifex, Lobed Spinifex Triodia brizoides
Buck Spinifex, Bull Spinifex, Giant Grey Spinifex Triodia longiceps
Five-minute Grass, Rye Beetle Grass Tripogon loliiformis
Hairy Armgrass, Hairy Summer Grass, Green Summer Grass Urochloa piligera
Large Armgrass, Large Summer Grass Urochloa praetervisa
Sandhill Canegrass Zygochloa paradoxa