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Graminae
Synonyms
Anthistiria membranacea Lindl; Iseilema actinostachys Domin.
Common names
Flinders grass, small Flinders grass (Australia).
Description
A quick-growing, annual, glabrous grass, sometimes forming
dense leafy tufts of 15 cm, the branching stems often elongated to 30-60
cm. Leaves flat. The grain is borne among the small leaves over almost
all of the plant. Midrib conspicuous because of the folding of the leaf,
ligule short, membranous, truncate. Distinguished by its very small racemes,
very shortly bearded, and the scabrous involucral spikelets.
Distribution
In Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and
Queensland, Australia.
Season of growth
Early in the wet season in late spring to summer. The plant
disintegrates at maturity in about six weeks to two months.
Altitude range
160-300 m in Queensland.
Rainfall requirements
In its natural habitat it vegetates regions receiving 375-500
mm of annual rainfall with summer dominance.
Drought tolerance
It grows so quickly that it tends to escape droughts.
Soil requirements
It grows on cracking grey and brown clay soils of pH 7.0 or
slightly higher, occasionally on other soil types.
Ability to spread naturally
It spreads rapidly by seed.
Response to defoliation
It does not stand heavy stocking and breaks up at maturity.
Response to fire
It is destroyed by fire.
Suitability for hay and
silage
It makes an excellent, nutritious hay if harvested at flowering.
Optimum temperature for
growth
Between 30 and 40°C.
Frost tolerance
It does not tolerate frosts.
Latitudinal limits
About 30°S to 18°N.>
Maximum germination and
quality required for sale
55 percent germinable seeds, 78 percent purity (Queensland).
Palatability
Its palatability is questioned, but stock will retrieve broken
pieces of the plant from the ground after maturity. Generally there is
ample other feed available with it.
Chemical analysis and
digestibility
Analyses of hayed-off mature material in north-west Queensland
show the following dry-matter content: crude protein, 2-3.9 percent; crude
fibre, 36.3-42.4 percent; ash, 11.6-14.2 percent; ether extract, 1.3 percent;
nitrogen-free extract, 43.4-46.9 percent; CaO, 0.28-0.43 percent and P2O5,
0.058-0.1 percent.
Natural habitat
Open grassland.
Tolerance to flooding
It will tolerate temporary flooding.
Fertilizer requirements
It is not fertilized, but it grows in fertile soil with adequate
calcium and phosphorus and its growth is stimulated by the nitrogen resulting
from the "birch" effect, releasing soil nitrogen immediately after rain.
Compatibility with other
grasses and legumes
It is associated with Astrebla spp. in the Mitchell grass grasslands
in Australia, being an annual which vegetates the spaces between the Astrebla
tussocks during the wet season in association with Brachyachne convergens
and Dactyloctenium radulans. Few legumes other than sparse Rhynchosia minima
are associated with it.
Seed production and harvesting
It seeds freely in November. Seed is rarely collected.
Economics
Flinders grass is a common annual component in the Mitchell
grass (Astrebla) association on the heavy cracking clays of western Queensland
grasslands. It is very palatable when young but soon matures and disintegrates
and much blows away. It does not provide a large part of the merino sheep's
annual diet (Davidson, 1954; Lorimer, 1978).
Animal production
No figures have been cited. In areas where it occurs with Astrebla
spp., the annual carrying capacity is rated at one sheep to two hectares,
but because of its fast growth it is usually only available for three months
and much of the feed is wasted.
Further reading
Davidson, 1954.
Tolerance to salinity
It will grow on soils with a pH above 7.0 but it does not appear
to tolerate salinity.
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