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.
It should be noted that many plants are capable of growing over a range of soil salinities so other salinity indicators are needed to increase the confidence in identifying saline soils.
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 Blown-grass | Lachnagrostis filiformis (syn. Agrostis avenacea) | |
| * | Couch Grass | Cynodon dactylon |
| Curly Windmill-grass | Enteropogon acicularis | |
| 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. Agropyron 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 | |
| Creeping Brookweed | Samolus repens | |
| Creeping Monkey Flower | Mimulus repens | |
| Hardhead Daisy | Brachyscome lineariloba | |
| Lesser Sand-spurrey | Spergularia diandra | |
| Moona | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| Spiked Centaury | Centaurium spicatum | |
| Swamp Crassula | Crassula helmsii | |
| Swamp Weed | Selliera radicans | |
Shrubs and Trees | ||
| Black Box | Eucalyptus largiflorens | |
| Mallee Honey-myrtle | Melaleuca brevifolia | |
| Moona | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| River Red-gum | Eucalyptus camaldulensis | |
| Ruby Salt Bush | Enchylaena tomentosa | |
| Salt Paperbark | Melaleuca halmaturorum | |
| Swamp Sheoak | Casuarina obesa | |
| 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 | |
| * | Coast Barb-grass | Parapholis incurva |
| Coast Blown-grass | Lachnagrostis billardierei ssp. billardierei | |
| Common Blown-grass | Lachnagrostis filiformis (syn. Agrostis avenacea) | |
| * | Couch Grass | Cynodon dactylon |
| Curly Windmill-grass | Enteropogon acicularis | |
| 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. Agropyron 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 | |
| * | Common Ice Plant | Mesembryanthemum crystallinum |
| Creeping Brookweed | Samolus repens | |
| Creeping Monkey Flower | Mimulus repens | |
| Hardhead Daisy | Brachyscome lineariloba | |
| Lesser Sand-spurrey | Spergularia diandra | |
| Lesser Sea-spurrey | Serpgularia marina | |
| Moona | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| Oval Purse | Hymenolobus procumbens | |
| Round-leaf Wilsonia | Wilsonia rotundifolia | |
| Rounded Noon-flower | Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum | |
| Sand-spurrey | Spergularia sp.1 | |
| 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 | |
| Water Buttons | Cotula coronopifolia | |
Shrubs and Trees | ||
| Austral Seablite | Suaeda australis | |
| Black Box | Eucalyptus largiflorens | |
| Creeping Saltbush | Artiplex semibaccata | |
| Mallee Honey-myrtle | Melaleuca brevifolia | |
| Moona | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| River Red-gum | Eucalyptus camaldulensis | |
| Ruby Saltbush | Enchylaena tomentosa | |
| Salt Paperbark | Melaleuca halmaturorum | |
| Swamp Sheoak | Casuarina obesa | |
| Totem Poles | Melaleuca decussata | |
| Wirilda | Acacia retinodes | |
S3 | ||
| 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) | |
| 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. Agropyron 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 | Serpgularia marina | |
| Moona | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| Narrow-leaf Wilsonia | Wilsonia backhousei | |
| Oval Purse | Hymenolobus procumbens | |
| Round-leaf Wilsonia | Wilsonia rotundifolia | |
| Rounded Noon-flower | Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum | |
| Sand-spurrey | Spergularia sp.1 | |
| 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 | |
| Water Buttons | Cotula coronopifolia | |
Shrubs and Trees | ||
| Austral Seablite | Suaeda australis | |
| Black-seeded Samphire | Halosarcia pergranulata | |
| Creeping Saltbush | Artiplex semibaccata | |
| Moona | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| Ruby Saltbush | Enchylaena tomentosa | |
| Salt Paperbark | Melaleuca halmaturorum | |
| Swamp Sheoak | Casuarina obesa | |
| 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 | |
| Sand-spurrey | Spergularia sp.1 | |
| Short-stem Sand-spurrey | Spergularia brevifolia | |
| Silky Wilsonia | Wilsonia humilis | |
Shrubs and Trees | ||
| Austral Seablite | Suaeda australis | |
| Black-seeded Samphire | Halosarcia pergranulata | |
| Salt Paperbark | Melaleuca halmaturorum | |