Salinity Indicator Plants Home | Photo Gallery | Glossary
Purpose
A list of salt-tolerant plants that commonly occur in the Wimmera Region appear below. The estimated soil salinity classes in which each of these plant species is likely to occur has been noted. Because many species often grow across a range of classes, other salinity indicators may also be needed to increase confidence in identifying a particular salinity class from its assemblage of indicator species.
Vegetation Community in relation to Salinity Class
* Indicates introduced and exotic species
| S1 | ||
| Grasses and Rush-like Plants | ||
| * | Annual Beard-grass | Polypogon monspeliensis |
| Bristly Wallaby-grass | Austrodanthonia setacea | |
| Coast Blown-grass | Lachnagrostis billardierei ssp. billardierei | |
| Common Barb-grass | Hainardia cylindrica | |
| Common Blown-grass | Lachnagrostis filiformis (syn. Agrostis avenacea) | |
| Common Reed | Phragmites australis | |
| * | Couch Grass | Cynodon dactylon |
| Curly Windmill-grass | Enteropogon acicularis | |
| Desmazeria | Tribolium acutiflorum (syn. Desmazeria acutiflora, Plagiochloa acutiflora) | |
| Mediterranean Barley-grass | Hordeum hystrix (syn. Critesion hystrix) | |
| Rat's-tail Couch | Sporobolus mitchellii | |
| * | Sea Barley-grass | Hordeum marinum (syn. Critesion marinum) |
| * | Tall Wheat-grass | Lophopyrum ponticum (syn. Agropyrum elongatum) |
| Toad Rush | Juncus bufonius | |
| * | Wimmera Rye-grass | Lolium rigidum |
| Windmill Grass | Chloris truncata | |
| Salt Couch | Sporobolus virginicus | |
Herbs and Forbs | ||
| Annual Celery | Apium annuum | |
| * | Buck's Horn Plantain | Plantago coronopus |
| * | Burr Medic | Medicago polymorpha |
| Centaury | Centaurium spicatum | |
| Clustered Lawrencia | Lawrencia glomerata | |
| Creeping Brookweed | Samolus repens | |
| Creeping Monkey-flower | Mimulus repens | |
| Hardhead Daisy | Brachyscome lineariloba | |
| Inland Pigface | Carpobrotus modestus | |
| Lesser Sand-spurrey | Spergularia diandra | |
| Moona | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| Rosinweed | Cressa australis (syn. Cressa cretica var. australis) | |
| Spiked Centaury | Centaurium spicatum | |
| Swamp Crassula | Crassula helmsii | |
| Swamp Weed | Selliera radicans | |
Shrubs and Trees | ||
| Black Box | Eucalyptus largiflorens | |
| Creeping Boobialla | Myoporum parvifolium | |
| Creeping Saltbush | Atriplex semibaccata | |
| Mallee Honey-myrtle | Melaleuca brevifolia | |
| Moonah | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| Old-man Saltbush | Atriplex nummularia | |
| River Red-gum | Eucalyptus camaldulensis | |
| Ruby Salt Bush | Enchylaena tomentosa | |
| Salt Paperbark | Melaleuca halmaturorum | |
| Swamp Sheoak | Casuarina obesa | |
| Thorny Lawrencia | Lawrencia squamata (syn. Selenothamnus squamatus) | |
| Totem Poles | Melaleuca decussata | |
| Wirilda | Acacia retinodes | |
S2 | ||
| Grasses and Rush-like Plants | ||
| * | Annual Beard-grass | Polypogon monspeliensis |
| Australian Salt-grass | Distichlis distichophylla | |
| Australian Saltmarsh-grass | Puccinellia stricta | |
| Bristly Wallaby-grass | Austrodanthonia setacea | |
| * | Coast Barb-grass | Parapholis incurva |
| Coast Blown-grass | Lachnagrostis billardierei ssp. billardierei | |
| Common Barb-grass | Hainardia cylindrica | |
| Common Blown-grass | Lachnagrostis filiformis (syn. Agrostis avenacea) | |
| Common Reed | Phragmites australis | |
| * | Couch Grass | Cynodon dactylon |
| Curly Windmill-grass | Enteropogon acicularis | |
| Desmazeria | Tribolium acutiflorum (syn. Desmazeria acutiflora, Plagiochloa acutiflora) | |
| Lax Saltmarsh-grass | Puccinellia perlaxa (syn. Puccinellia sricta var. perlaxa) | |
| Mediterranean Barley-grass | Hordeum hystrix (syn. Critesion hystrix) | |
| Rat's-tail Couch | Sporobolus mitchellii | |
| Salt Blown-grass | Lachnagrostis robusta (syn. Agrostis billardierei var. robusta) | |
| * | Sea Barley-grass | Hordeum marinum (syn. Critesion marinum) |
| Salt Couch | Sporobolus virginicus | |
| * | Spiny Rush | Juncus acutus |
| Streaked Arrow-grass | Triglochin striata | |
| * | Tall Wheat-grass | Lophopyrum ponticum (syn. Agropyrum elongatum) |
| Toad Rush | Juncus bufonius | |
| * | Wimmera Rye-grass | Lolium rigidum |
| Windmill Grass | Chloris truncata | |
Herbs and Forbs | ||
| Annual Celery | Apium annuum | |
| Beaded Glasswort | Sarcocornia quinqueflora | |
| * | Buck's Horn Plantain | Plantago coronopus |
| Centaury | Centaurium spicatum | |
| Clustered Lawrencia | Lawrencia glomerata | |
| * | Common Ice Plant | Mesembryanthemum crystallinum |
| Creeping Brookweed | Samolus repens | |
| Creeping Monkey-flower | Mimulus repens | |
| Hardhead Daisy | Brachyscome lineariloba | |
| Inland Pigface | Carpobrotus modestus | |
| Lesser Sand-spurrey | Spergularia diandra | |
| Lesser Sea-spurrey | Spergularia marina | |
| Moona | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| Oval Purse | Hymenolobus procumbens | |
| * | Red Sand-spurrey | Spergularia rubra |
| Rosinweed | Cressa australis (syn. Cressa cretica var. australis) | |
| Round-leaf Wilsonia | Wilsonia rotundifolia | |
| Rounded Noon-flower | Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum | |
| Short-stem Sand-spurrey | Spergularia brevifolia | |
| Spiked Centaury | Centaurium spicatum | |
| Stiff Cup-flower | Pogonolepis muelleriana (syn. Angianthus strictus) | |
| Swamp Crassula | Crassula helmsii | |
| Swamp Weed | Selliera radicans | |
| Tasmanian Sand-spurrey | Spergularia tasmanica | |
| Water Buttons | Cotula coronopifolia | |
Shrubs and Trees | ||
| Austral Seablite | Suaeda australis | |
| Black Box | Eucalyptus largiflorens | |
| Creeping Boobialla | Myoporum parvifolium | |
| Creeping Saltbush | Atriplex semibaccata | |
| Mallee Honey-myrtle | Melaleuca brevifolia | |
| Moonah | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| Old-man Saltbush | Atriplex nummularia | |
| River Red-gum | Eucalyptus camaldulensis | |
| Ruby Saltbush | Enchylaena tomentosa | |
| Salt Paperbark | Melaleuca halmaturorum | |
| Swamp Sheoak | Casuarina obesa | |
| Thorny Lawrencia | Lawrencia squamata (syn. Selenothamnus squamatus) | |
| Totem Poles | Melaleuca decussata | |
| Wirilda | Acacia retinodes | |
S3 | ||
| Grasses and Rush-like Plants | ||
| Australian Salt-grass | Distichlis distichophylla | |
| Australian Saltmarsh-grass | Puccinellia stricta | |
| Clustered Lawrencia | Lawrencia glomerata | |
| * | Coast Barb-grass | Parapholis incurva |
| Common Barb-grass | Hainardia cylindrica | |
| Common Reed | Phragmites australis | |
| Chaffy Saw-sedge | Gahnia filum | |
| Desmazeria | Tribolium acutiflorum (syn. Desmazeria acutiflora, Plagiochloa acutiflora) | |
| Lax Saltmarsh-grass | Puccinellia perlaxa (syn. Puccinellia sricta var. perlaxa) | |
| Mediterranean Barley-grass | Hordeum hystrix (syn. Critesion hystrix) | |
| Salt Blown-grass | Lachnagrostis robusta (syn. Agrostis billardierei var. robusta) | |
| * | Sea Barley-grass | Hordeum marinum (syn. Critesion marinum) |
| Salt Couch | Sporobolus virginicus | |
| * | Spiny Rush | Juncus acutus |
| Streaked Arrow-grass | Triglochin striata | |
| * | Tall Wheat-grass | Lophopyrum ponticum (syn. Agropyrum elongatum) |
Herbs and Forbs | ||
| Annual Celery | Apium annuum | |
| Beaded Glasswort | Sarcocornia quinqueflora | |
| * | Common Ice Plant | Mesembryanthemum crystallinum |
| Creeping Brookweed | Samolus repens | |
| Lesser Sand-spurrey | Spergularia diandra | |
| Lesser Sea-spurrey | Spergularia marina | |
| Moona | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| Narrow-leaf Wilsonia | Wilsonia backhousei | |
| Oval Purse | Hymenolobus procumbens | |
| * | Red Sand-spurrey | Spergularia rubra |
| Rosinweed | Cressa australis (syn. Cressa cretica var. australis) | |
| Round-leaf Wilsonia | Wilsonia rotundifolia | |
| Rounded Noon-flower | Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum | |
| Short-stem Sand-spurrey | Spergularia brevifolia | |
| Silky Wilsonia | Wilsonia humilis | |
| Stiff Cup-flower | Pogonolepis muelleriana (syn. Angianthus strictus) | |
| Swamp Crassula | Crassula helmsii | |
| Swamp Weed | Selliera radicans | |
| Tasmanian Sand-spurrey | Spergularia tasmanica | |
| Water Buttons | Cotula coronopifolia | |
Shrubs and Trees | ||
| Austral Seablite | Suaeda australis | |
| Black-seeded Samphire | Halosarcia pergranulata | |
| Creeping Saltbush | Atriplex semibaccata | |
| Moonah | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| Old-man Saltbush | Atriplex nummularia | |
| Ruby Saltbush | Enchylaena tomentosa | |
| Salt Paperbark | Melaleuca halmaturorum | |
| Swamp Sheoak | Casuarina obesa | |
| Thorny Lawrencia | Lawrencia squamata (syn. Selenothamnus squamatus) | |
| Wirilda | Acacia retinodes | |
S4 | ||
| Grasses and Rush-like Plants | ||
| Australian Salt-grass | Distichlis distichophylla | |
| Australian Saltmarsh-grass | Puccinellia stricta | |
| Chaffy Saw-sedge | Gahnia filum | |
| * | Coast Barb-grass | Parapholis incurva |
| Lax Saltmarsh-grass | Puccinellia perlaxa (syn. Puccinellia sricta var. perlaxa) | |
| Salt Blown-grass | Lachnagrostis robusta (syn. Agrostis billardierei var. robusta) | |
| Salt Couch | Sporobolus virginicus | |
| * | Spiny Rush | Juncus acutus |
Herbs and Forbs | ||
| Beaded Glasswort | Sarcocornia quinqueflora | |
| * | Common Ice Plant | Mesembryanthemum crystallinum |
| Lesser Sea-spurrey | Serpgularia marina | |
| Narrow-leaf Wilsonia | Wilsonia backhousei | |
| Round-leaf Wilsonia | Wilsonia rotundifolia | |
| Rounded Noon-flower | Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum | |
| Short-stem Sand-spurrey | Spergularia brevifolia | |
| Silky Wilsonia | Wilsonia humilis | |
| Tasmanian Sand-spurrey | Spergularia tasmanica | |
Shrubs and Trees | ||
| Austral Seablite | Suaeda australis | |
| Black-seeded Samphire | Halosarcia pergranulata | |
| Salt Paperbark | Melaleuca halmaturorum | |