Poaceae

MONOCOTYLEDONS

POACEAE - Grass Family

Stenotaphrum secundatum (buffalo grass) is a stoloniferous, prostrate perennial forming dense swards. The inflorescence is a one-sided spike-like panicle, 5-10cm long, with the spikelets embedded in the axis. Flowers in summer. Planted as a lawn grass, it is a weed of riverine edges, swamps and road verges from Perth to Albany. Because of its dense growth habit, it can smother herbaceous species. Native to North and South America and Africa.

Stenotaphrum secundatum , RR

Thinopyrum distichum (was Agropyron distichum) (sea wheat) is a creeping, rhizomatous perennial to 50cm tall. The inflorescence is a dense, erect, green panicle of spikelets to 15cm long, produced in late spring and early summer. It is used to stabilise coastal dunes and is spreading rapidly along beaches north and south of Perth. Native to South Africa. Note that T. elongatum (tall wheatgrass) is being extensively planted in saline land rehabilitation, and can be expected to naturalise into wet areas. It is a summer-growing, tussock-forming perennial to 2m tall, with a spike-like inflorescence. Native to the Balkans and southern Russia.

Thinopyrum distichum , GK

Tribolium uniolae (was Plagiochloa uniolae) is a rhizomatous, tufted perennial, to 60cm. The inflorescence is a green, two-sided spike or a cylindrical, spike-like panicle, 2-6cm long, flowering in spring and summer. An invasive weed, spreading rapidly in clay wetlands and bushland in the Darling Range near Perth and also found near Manjimup. Native to South Africa.
Triticum aestivum (wheat) is an annual to 1m tall. The inflorescence is a four-angled spike, usually with long awns. Flowers in spring and summer. An important crop plant, it occurs on roadsides, growing from spilt grain, throughout the south-west, though probably not naturalised. It is of hybrid origin from the Mediterranean and western Asia.

Tribolium uniolae , GK

Urochloa has 10 native and six naturalised species in Western Australia. U. decumbens (signal grass) is a stoloniferous perennial to 2m across. The inflorescence is a short panicle, produced in winter. It occurs on disturbed sites in the Ord Valley. Native to Africa. U. mosambicensis (sabi grass) is a stoloniferous or rhizomatous perennial to 2m tall. The inflorescence is a simple, dense panicle produced in summer and autumn. Occurs on disturbed sites in the Ord Valley, Koolan Island and along the Lennard River at Windjana Gorge. Native to Africa.

Urochloa mosambicensis , RR

U. mutica (para grass) is a stoloniferous perennial to 5m across, flowering in winter and spring. It has been recorded along creeks and swamps at Yanchep, and in the Kimberley at Turkey Creek and the Ord River. Native to tropical America.
U. panicoides(urochloa grass, liverseed grass) is a stoloniferous annual to 70cm tall, flowering in winter. It is a pasture grass, recorded in the Kimberley from lawns, from a roadside near Dongara and in the eastern wheatbelt, but probably more widespread. Native to Africa.

U. panicoides, RR

U. ramosa has been recorded from Kalumburu, flowering in summer and winter, native to tropical Africa.
U. subquadripara is a stoloniferous perennial or annual to 60cm tall, flowering in winter. It occurs throughout the Kimberley region. Native to tropical Africa and Asia.

U. subquadripara , RR

Vulpia are annuals, 5-50cm tall. The inflorescence is usually a narrow, one-sided panicle. V. bromoides (squirrel's tail fescue) has an erect, loose to compact, greenish-purple, one-sided inflorescence, 1-10cm long, flowering in spring. It is a very widespread weed of agricultural land and of many vegetation types throughout southern Western Australia. Native to Europe. V. fasciculata (considered here to include plants referred to as V. membranacea) (sand fescue) has a stiff, erect, greenish-purple, one-sided inflorescence, 2-10cm long, flowering in spring. It is a widespread weed of many vegetation types and occasionally agricultural land from Perth to Esperance. Native to western Europe.

Vulpia bromoides , RR

V. myuros (silver grass, rat's tail fescue) has a linear, one-sided, erect or curved, green inflorescence, 5-30cm long. Flowers in spring. It is a very widespread weed of cereal crops, pastures, revegetation areas and of many other vegetation types throughout southern Western Australia, from Shark Bay to Esperance. Native to Europe, the Mediterranean and South Asia. The very similar
V. muralis (wall fescue) also occurs in Western Australia.

V. myuros , GG

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*Stenotaphrum secundatum* (buffalo grass) is a stoloniferous, prostrate perennial forming dense swards. The inflorescence is a one-sided spike-like panicle, 5-10cm long, with the spikelets embedded in the axis. Flowers in summer. Planted as a lawn grass, it is a weed of riverine edges, swamps and road verges from Perth to Albany. Because of its dense growth habit, it can smother herbaceous species. Native to North and South America and Africa.	*Stenotaphrum secundatum* , RR
*Thinopyrum distichum* (was Agropyron distichum) (sea wheat) is a creeping, rhizomatous perennial to 50cm tall. The inflorescence is a dense, erect, green panicle of spikelets to 15cm long, produced in late spring and early summer. It is used to stabilise coastal dunes and is spreading rapidly along beaches north and south of Perth. Native to South Africa. Note that *T. elongatum* (tall wheatgrass) is being extensively planted in saline land rehabilitation, and can be expected to naturalise into wet areas. It is a summer-growing, tussock-forming perennial to 2m tall, with a spike-like inflorescence. Native to the Balkans and southern Russia.	*Thinopyrum distichum* , GK
*Tribolium uniolae* (was Plagiochloa uniolae) is a rhizomatous, tufted perennial, to 60cm. The inflorescence is a green, two-sided spike or a cylindrical, spike-like panicle, 2-6cm long, flowering in spring and summer. An invasive weed, spreading rapidly in clay wetlands and bushland in the Darling Range near Perth and also found near Manjimup. Native to South Africa. *Triticum aestivum* (wheat) is an annual to 1m tall. The inflorescence is a four-angled spike, usually with long awns. Flowers in spring and summer. An important crop plant, it occurs on roadsides, growing from spilt grain, throughout the south-west, though probably not naturalised. It is of hybrid origin from the Mediterranean and western Asia.	*Tribolium uniolae* , GK
*Urochloa* has 10 native and six naturalised species in Western Australia. *U. decumbens* (signal grass) is a stoloniferous perennial to 2m across. The inflorescence is a short panicle, produced in winter. It occurs on disturbed sites in the Ord Valley. Native to Africa. *U. mosambicensis* (sabi grass) is a stoloniferous or rhizomatous perennial to 2m tall. The inflorescence is a simple, dense panicle produced in summer and autumn. Occurs on disturbed sites in the Ord Valley, Koolan Island and along the Lennard River at Windjana Gorge. Native to Africa.	*Urochloa mosambicensis* , RR
*U. mutica* (para grass) is a stoloniferous perennial to 5m across, flowering in winter and spring. It has been recorded along creeks and swamps at Yanchep, and in the Kimberley at Turkey Creek and the Ord River. Native to tropical America. *U. panicoides*(urochloa grass, liverseed grass) is a stoloniferous annual to 70cm tall, flowering in winter. It is a pasture grass, recorded in the Kimberley from lawns, from a roadside near Dongara and in the eastern wheatbelt, but probably more widespread. Native to Africa.	*U. panicoides*, RR
*U. ramosa* has been recorded from Kalumburu, flowering in summer and winter, native to tropical Africa. *U. subquadripara* is a stoloniferous perennial or annual to 60cm tall, flowering in winter. It occurs throughout the Kimberley region. Native to tropical Africa and Asia.	*U. subquadripara* , RR
*Vulpia* are annuals, 5-50cm tall. The inflorescence is usually a narrow, one-sided panicle. *V. bromoides* (squirrel's tail fescue) has an erect, loose to compact, greenish-purple, one-sided inflorescence, 1-10cm long, flowering in spring. It is a very widespread weed of agricultural land and of many vegetation types throughout southern Western Australia. Native to Europe. *V. fasciculata* (considered here to include plants referred to as V. membranacea) (sand fescue) has a stiff, erect, greenish-purple, one-sided inflorescence, 2-10cm long, flowering in spring. It is a widespread weed of many vegetation types and occasionally agricultural land from Perth to Esperance. Native to western Europe.	*Vulpia bromoides* , RR
*V. myuros* (silver grass, rat's tail fescue) has a linear, one-sided, erect or curved, green inflorescence, 5-30cm long. Flowers in spring. It is a very widespread weed of cereal crops, pastures, revegetation areas and of many other vegetation types throughout southern Western Australia, from Shark Bay to Esperance. Native to Europe, the Mediterranean and South Asia. The very similar V. muralis (wall fescue) also occurs in Western Australia.	*V. myuros* , GG