White Top Wallaby-grass

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Scientific Name: Austrodanthonia caespitosa
Photo: White Top Wallaby Grass
Photograph courtesy of Viridans Biological Databases (external link)

Common Name:
Ringed Wallaby-grass, Wallaby Grass, Common Wallaby-grass

General Description:
Tall, tufted perennial grass from 20 – 90 cm tall, with dense tussocky base to 12 cm diameter.

Stems smooth, slender to rather robust with 2 – 4 hairless nodes.

Leaves to 30 cm long, 2 – 4 mm wide, flat or loosely rolled, soft, hairless or slightly hairy. Ligule a collar of hairs about 0.5 mm long with marginal tufts 1-2 mm long.

Inflorescence a spike-like panicle to 15 cm long with clusters of bristly flowers. Compact, shortly branched flower heads with around 10-30 spikelets, which appear bleached and fluffy when mature and dry.

Flowering spring, infrequently at other times

Occurence
Mostly on clay soils, and less frequently on sandy loam, or loamy red earths. Found in a wide range of communities, but is a dominant species in black box and grassland communities.

Related Species
There are many species of Wallaby Grasses. It requires expert knowledge to distinguish them. Relatively few species are found growing on saline areas.

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Scientific Name:	Austrodanthonia caespitosa	Photograph courtesy of Viridans Biological Databases (external link)
Common Name:	Ringed Wallaby-grass, Wallaby Grass, Common Wallaby-grass
General Description:	Tall, tufted perennial grass from 20 – 90 cm tall, with dense tussocky base to 12 cm diameter. Stems smooth, slender to rather robust with 2 – 4 hairless nodes. Leaves to 30 cm long, 2 – 4 mm wide, flat or loosely rolled, soft, hairless or slightly hairy. Ligule a collar of hairs about 0.5 mm long with marginal tufts 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence a spike-like panicle to 15 cm long with clusters of bristly flowers. Compact, shortly branched flower heads with around 10-30 spikelets, which appear bleached and fluffy when mature and dry. Flowering spring, infrequently at other times
Occurence	Mostly on clay soils, and less frequently on sandy loam, or loamy red earths. Found in a wide range of communities, but is a dominant species in black box and grassland communities.
Related Species	There are many species of Wallaby Grasses. It requires expert knowledge to distinguish them. Relatively few species are found growing on saline areas.