Longhair Plumegrass (Dichelachne crinita)
© Harry Rose
Native, cool-season, perennial, erect, loosely tufted grass to 150 cm tall. Flowerheads are cylindrical contracted panicles. Flowers from late winter to early summer. Found on roadsides and in woodlands and forests. Usually on sands or low fertility soils. Native biodiversity. Seedling recruitment can be high in wet seasons. Leaves have moderate to high feed quality, but production is low. However, it does provide green feed during late winter to early spring when many other species are frosted. Decreases in abundance with increasing grazing pressure; most abundant in ungrazed areas. Responds to increased soil fertility, but fertilising for its increased production is not economic and introduced species are likely to then outcompete it.
Photo taken on 27 Aug 2013