Millet like

160. Mossman river grass

Cenchrus echinatus

    

An annual grass with erect stems forming loose tufts and growing to 60 cm. Leaves are pale green, flat, rather stiff and tapering towards the tip. Seed heads are narrow, spike-like and have many closely packed burrs which fall off readily when ripe. The burrs are about 4 mm across, formed of a ring of stout, broad, spiny bristles and are joined together at the base.

Mossman River Grass is widespread and common, particularly on sandy ground. It infests headlands, roadsides and invades cane fields especially in areas of coastal sand dunes. The burrs readily cling to clothing and painfully attach themselves to skin.

 
 

161. Clustered love grass

Eragrostis elongata

  

An annual or short-lived perennial grass, forming tufts and growing to about 70 cm. Leaves grow mostly from the base, with some short, rather stiff leaves on the stems. The stems have few nodes, are hairless and unbranched. Flower heads consist of clusters of spikelets along the stems.

Clustered Love Grass is mainly a weed of headlands and road-sides.

 

162. Paspalidiums

Paspalidium spp.

  

Short, erect, tufted perennials with knotty underground root systems. Stems and nodes are hairless and stems unbranched. Leaves grow mainly from the base of the stems and have close fitting leaf sheaths. Flower heads are slender, spike-like and usually about 15 cm long. Spikelets are arranged in regular rows on one side of the stems.

The illustrated specimen, Paspalidium gausum, was found on a cane field headland in the Burdekin district.

   

163. Elephant grass

Pennisetum purpureum

    

A tall, densely-tufted, perennial grass with underground runners. Stems are branching and grow to 3 m or more. Leaves are pale green, up to 120 cm long and 4 cm wide and tapering to a fine point. Flower heads are dense cylindrical spikes 8 to 30 cm long and 2.5 cm broad. They are yellow to purple in colour with individual spikelets which have many fine bristles about 1 cm long.

Elephant Grass was originally introduced as a pasture grass but has become naturalised throughout the wetter areas. It is found mainly on creek banks and roadsides. A variety of this grass, known as Barner Grass, is used as a wind break for horticultural crops.

   
   

164. Itch grass

Rottoellia cochinchinensis

    

An erect, coarse, cane-like, annual grass growing to 3 m. Stems are cylindrical, hollow and branch from the upper nodes. Prop roots grow down from the lower nodes. Leaves and leaf sheaths are covered in stiff hairs which cause irritation if allowed to penetrate skin. Leaves are blue-green in colour, flat, 1 to 4.5 cm wide, about 50 cm long and with rough edges. Flower heads branch out from the upper nodes, are in the form of spikes about 10 cm long. As the heads mature, the cylindrical seeds progressively break free from the end and fall to the ground.

Itch Grass has invaded cane fields in different districts from time to time. Because its size and vigorous growth it competes strongly with cane and heavy infestations cause severe crop loss.

   
   

165. Pale pigeon grass

Setaria pumila

    

An erect, annual grass growing to 75 cm. Stems are smooth, unbranched with the internodes longer than the leaf sheaths. Leaves are rough, slightly hairy along the edges and up to 30 cm long and 1 cm wide. They are flat and finely pointed and have some hairs on the upper surface near the base. The flower head is a dense spike, up to 14 cm long. Beneath individual spikelets are 5 to 10 bristles which are pale yellow to reddish in colour and 1 cm in length.

Pale Pigeon Grass is widespread and common throughout the canegrowing areas. It is usually found on waste ground, banks and in unmowed areas adjoining cane fields.

   
   

166. Dropseed grass

Sporobolus spp.

    

Tufted perennial grasses growing to 1 m but usually less. Stems are erect, smooth and hairless, with hairless nodes. Most leaves grow from the base of the plant and the leaf sheaths are round, smooth and shorter than the internodes when mature. Flower heads are spike-like with the spikes held close to the stem, giving a rat's tail appearance. The spikelets are densely clustered on each of the branches.

Dropseed Grasses are widespread in forest country and is also commonly found on mowed headlands and roadsides. Some-times called Rat's Tail Grasses.