| Description |
Native, warm-season, perennial, tufted C4 grass; stems are thick, erect or ascending, grow to 100 cm tall and have unbearded nodes. Flowerheads are subdigitate, with 3-6 stout erect branches that are pressed together and bare at their base for a short distance. Spikelets are sparsely hairy and paired, with an unstalked awned spikelet 6-8 mm long and a stalked unawned spikelet; upper lemma of awned spikelet terminates in 2 lobes. Flowers from late spring to autumn. Mostly found on alluvial flats and undulating country with more fertile and heavier textured soils than preferred by Red Grass. Largely occurs north from Dubbo. Native biodiversity. Tolerant of a wide range of grazing pressures. Responsive to increased fertility, but grows well in unfertilised areas. Provides moderate feed quality and grows well during summer, even in drought; not readily grazed if other species are available; yields can be high, but a large proportion is often stem. To maintain quality, graze to minimise stem development. Similar to Pitted Bluegrass (Bothriochloa decipiens) and Red Grass (Bothriochloa macra), but these species are generally shorter, have finer stems, shorter and narrower leaves, less robust flowerheads and the upper floret of unstalked spikelets is not 2-lobed. |
