Photo of Plantae: species: Setaria parviflora
© Harry Rose
Introduced, warm-season, perennial, tufted grass to 120 cm tall and arising from short knotty rhizomes. Ligules are a dense rim of hairs. Flowerheads are narrow, cylindrical, spike-like panicles to 10 cm long. Spikelets are 2-flowered and are surrounded by uniformly yellow or purplish coloured bristles that remain after spikelets fall. Upper glume is 50-65% of the spikelet’s length. Flowers in summer and autumn. A native of tropical and South America, it is a weed of roadsides, streams, floodplains, disturbed areas and moist places. More common when there is good late spring/summer rainfall and poor ground cover. A minor weed of pastures and cropping, but is uncommon in grazed pastures. Palatable when young, but rapidly becomes stemmy and is then avoided by stock. Graze frequently to delay flowering and maintain quality.
Photo taken on 4 Mar 2014