Tetrarrhena distichophylla
Hairy Rice-grass
Hairy, mat-forming perennial grass spreading from underground stems.
Additional information
- 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).
Photo Gallery
Photographer/s: 1 A. Barley, Royal Botanic Gardens Board ©; 2 Simon, B.K. & Alfonso, Y. 2011. AusGrass2, ausgrass2.myspecies.info ©
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