Poa labillardierei

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information:

Wikipedia links:       Angiosperms > Monocots >  Poales > Poaceae  

Other links:             

Plant  information

Common name:                Tussock-grass

• Indigenous names include; Bobat (Woi wurrung) and Bowat (Wurundjeri)

Conservation status:  ...

Etymology:   

• The name is derived from Poa - Greek word which means "fodder" 

• labillardierei - after the French botanist and explorer, J.J.H. de Labillardière

Flowers:                  

• Flowers in spring to summer

• Inflorescences are 10–25 cm long, with erect or erectly and loosely spreading branches 

• Spikelets 3–4(–8)-flowered, strongly laterally compressed

• Glumes broad to rather narrow, subacute to occasionally subacuminate. Lemmas firm, narrow to moderately broad, usually hairy, web usually copious, consisting of long hairs; palea firm, closely scabrous on the keels

Fruit:                         

Leaves:         

• Leaves mostly basal, very long; sheath usually pallid at the base, upper ± scabrous; ligule c. 0.5 mm long, truncate; blade to 80 cm long, flat or inrolled, to 3.5 mm wide, scabrous, moderately rigid, tip fine, setaceous

Stem & branches: 

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A species of tussock grass 

• A dense coarsely tufted grasses and can reach a height of 120 cm

• The large grass is a perennial hat germinates from seed or division

Habitat:   

• Most commonly growing in open forest communities, grassy woodland communities and in moister areas on low slopes and valley floors that are frequently wet

• They also grow on river flats and can extend up open sheltered slopes

• This plant is additionally frost tolerant

Distribution:                  

• Endemic to Australia

• It is found in southern and eastern Australia, including Tasmania.

Taxa:                     

• There are differing variations:

  • Poa labillardierei var. acris Vickery 

  • Poa labillardierei Steud. var. labillardierei

Additional notes:     

• The species was formally described in 1854 by German botanist and physician Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel in Synopsis Plantarum Glumacearum

• Uses 

  • Commonly used within home gardens and landscaping

  • It is a vigorous and tolerant grass, adding vertical interest in landscaping settings 

  • It regenerates well after burning but the fire should not be very hot for a long time

• Propagation

  • Poa labillardierei can be propagated by division and germinates readily from seed, into prepared soil in autumn and winter

  • The seedlings cannot grow in an area of continuous dry climate and needs moist soil to establish, but can germinate in frost and can tolerate a temperature in the 0 to -5 °C range 

  • It has a very fast growth rate, and once established, it needs very low maintenance and no irrigation

• First Nation's uses

  • The long leaves and stems are used as string for basket making

Sources of information:

• (2023)