Grass and GrassesBirdwood Buffel (Cenchrus setiger) Buffel Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) Fairy Grass (Sporobolus caroli) Finger Grass (Chloris barbata) Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) Silkyheads (Cymbopogon obtectus) Wanderrie Grass (Eriachne sp)
Grass is a common name applied to a range of monocotyledonous flowering plants that include cereal grasses, grasses found in natural grassland areas, and cultivated grasses found in lawns and pastures.
Monocotyledons commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae sensu Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon.
Monocotyledon, Wikipedia
Grasses can be hard to identify, especially during the different stages of their growth. Many native grasses and non-native such as buffel grass can be hard to identify in their early stages of growth. The same applies near the end stages of their growth, when many of the seeds have dispersed.
This section on the grasses will be a work in progress, as we provide general information on the various types of grass species found in Australia, both native and non-native, including the feral grasses (classified as weeds).
In Australia, there are a number of invasive species that have established themselves including Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris), Gamba grass (Andropogon gayanus), Mission grass (Pennisetum polystachion) and Birdwood grass (Cenchrus setiger).
Where available, we will provide some reference sources for your information.
The term grass is also used to include groups of plants such as spinifex, grass trees etc. Grass trees are not grasses, as they belong to the genus Xanthorrhoea, composed of about 30 species of flowering plants that are endemic to Australia.
| We aim to provide photographs as examples of each species, some being at different times of the lifespan of the grass species. Our aim is to try and be accurate, although on occasions we may misidentify the specific species, so please feel free to correct us and advise us on the correct identification. |
Check out our following listed grasses information:
- Buffel Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) – Tussock Grass
- Fairy Grass (Sporobolus caroli)
- Finger Grass (Chloris barbata)
- Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra)
- Silkyheads (Cymbopogon obtectus)
- Soft Spinifex (Triodia pungens) – Hummock Grass
- Spinifex (Triodia, Family Poaceae)
- Wanderrie Grass (Eriachne sp)
- Weeping Spinifex (Triodia brizoides)
The following are technically not grasses:
The following scientific classification is fluid, in that some of the grasses to be covered on this site may fall under other classifications. Where available, we will details the specific species on the individual pages.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Tracheophytes
- Clade: Angiosperms
- Clade: Monocots
- Clade: Commelinids
- Order: Poales
More information coming as we expand the content of this section..
Footnote & References
- Monocotyledon, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocotyledon (last visited Mar. 18, 2022)
- Native grasses – A regional guide, Natural Resources, Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges, Government of South Australia, https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/landscape/docs/hf/native-grasses-2017.pdf
Grass and GrassesBirdwood Buffel (Cenchrus setiger) Buffel Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) Fairy Grass (Sporobolus caroli) Finger Grass (Chloris barbata) Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) Silkyheads (Cymbopogon obtectus) Wanderrie Grass (Eriachne sp)
FloraFlora in Australia Flora Index Acacia Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) Annual Yellowtop Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum var filiforme Apple Bush (Pterocaulon sphacelatum) Australian Bluebell Australian Gossypium Banksia Batswing Coral Tree Billy Buttons Birdsville Indigo Blue Pincushion Bush Banana Callistemon Callitris drummondii (Drummond’s Cypress Pine) Calothamnus quadrifidus Cape Honeysuckle Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) Cattle Bush Common Heath Crotalaria Darwinia wittwerorum (Wittwer’s Mountain Bell) Daviesia oppositifolia (Rattle-pea) Desert Oaks Drumsticks Eremophila Eucalyptus Ficus Flannel Cudweed (Actinobole uliginosum) Georges Indigo Goatshead Burr (Sclerolaena bicornis) Golden Everlasting Goodenia Gossypium Grass and Grasses Grass Trees Grevillea Grey Germander Hakea Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) Lambertia sp Leptospermum MacDonnell Ranges Cycad Maireana scleroptera Mexican Poppy Minnie Daisy Mistletoe Family Nardoo Native Apricot Nicotiana megalosiphon subspecies sessilifolia Nuytsia floribunda Orange Spade Flower Orchidaceae Parakeelyas (Calandrinia) Pebble Bush (Stylobasium spathulatum) Perennial Yellow Top Pink Everlasting Pink Rock Wort Poached Egg Daisy Portulaca Proteaceae Ptilotus Quandong Resurrection Fern Rosy Dock Ruby Saltbush Santalum Solanum Spike Centaury Spinifex Storkbill (Erodum cygnorum) Striped Mint Bush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tall Saltbush Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Tribulus eichlerianus Upside-down Plant Urodon dasyphylla Variable Daisy Waratah (Telopea) Wertabona Daisy White Cedar (Melia azedarach) White Indigo White Paper Daisy Wild Passionfruit Wild Stock Woolly-Headed Burr Daisy Woolly Bush Yellow-keeled Swainsona