Tetrarrhena distichophylla

Hairy Rice-grass

Hairy, mat-forming perennial grass spreading from underground stems.

FamilyPoaceae
StoreyLower storey
Sizestems to 0.6 m long
Plant groupingGrasses, Rushes & Sedges
LeavesFlat or inrolled, pale green, densely hairy spreading to erect leaves 1-12 cm x 2-6 mm, crowded, in pairs.
Flower colourPale green
Flowering timeNovember to March
Flowers4-12 1-flowered spikelets in an erect spike-like flowerhead 2-4 cm long; spikelets hairy, 4-6 mm long.
Bird attractingNo
Butterfly attractingNo
Frog habitatNo
Growing conditionsMoist to dryish soils in heathy woodlands. Full sun to semi shade.
Garden useMatting groundcover for the garden or under trees. May be worth trying for a substitute lawn where traffic is not high.
Commercially availableNever
Conservation statusSignificant within the Shire. Known from very few local sites where it may be abundant. More common outside the Shire boundary.
Related speciesTetrarrhena acuminata can be distinguished by the longer spikelets, from 7 mm which have raised veins & tapering upper sterile floral bract (cf blunt bracts in above species).