Triodia

Location & distribution maps

Plant  information

Common name:         Spinifex

• The species of this genus are known by the common name spinifex, although they are not a part of the coastal genus Spinifex

• Triodia is known as tjanpi (grass) in central Australia

Conservation status: . . .

Etymology:   

• The name is derived from Latin; Triodia refers to the three-toothed lobes of the lemma

Flowers

Fruit:                            

Leaves:         

• Their leaves (30–40 centimetres long) are subulate (awl-shaped, with a tapering point)

• The leaf tips, which are high in silica, can break off in the skin, leading to infections

Stem & branches: 

Roots:         

Habit:        

• Triodia species are perennial Australian hummock grasses that grow in arid regions

Habitat:   

Distribution:                  

Additional notes:     

• Many soft-leaved Triodia species were formerly included in the genus Plectrachne.

• A multiaccess key (SpiKey) is available as a free application for identifying the Triodia of the Pilbara (28 species and one hybrid)

• Uses

  • Spinifex has had many traditional uses for Aboriginal Australians

    • Several species were (and are) used extensively as materials for basket weaving.

    • The seeds were collected and ground to make seedcakes

    • Spinifex resin was an important adhesive used in spear-making

    • Burning spinifex produces a strong black smoke, and smoke signals made in this way were an effective means of communication with families and groups over substantial distances

    • The species Triodia wiseana is used for building shelters; bunched together it is used for trapping fish against creek beds

    • It is called baru in the languages of the Yindjibarndi and Ngarluma people; the English term is hard spinifex

  • Triodia nanofibres have been used to reinforce rubber and latex products. As of 2023, a Brisbane-based company has raised funds to develop medical gels from spinifex resin

• Species currently include:

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triodia_(plant) (2023)