Hyparrhenia hirta

Coolatai Grass at Coree, ACT

Hyparrhenia hirta at Coree, ACT - 17 Feb 2018
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Identification history

Hyparrhenia hirta 17 Feb 2018 MichaelMulvaney
Hyparrhenia hirta 17 Feb 2018 ACTBioSecurity

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Significant sighting

19 Feb 2018

This is the first record of this highly invasive grass in the ACT. Unfortunately there are many thousands of plants and given that I myself have driven past this infestation four or five times it indicates that it is not immediately obvious, but one we need to be very vigilant for. It has the potential to take over our woodland areas as it has done in northern NSW. Well done Nena for spotting this infestation.

User's notes

Discovered by Parks Ranger Nina. Will collect for herbarium to double check id. Extent of infestation needs to be confirmed.

4 comments

   18 Feb 2018
Yes unfortunately does look like the first ACT record of Coolatai Grass - unfortunately this stretch of road is slashed and further up trittering occurs so lets hope it hasn't been spread to far yet - a nightmare of a plant that our woodlands don't want
   18 Feb 2018
The High Risk Invasive Plants Team visited the site late this afternoon. Major infestation: 3,000sqm about 30,000 plants. A lot in seed, and unfortunately a lot recently mown/slashed.
   19 Feb 2018
I pulled apart a spikelet and the florets have an awn with the distinctive double bend you see for Coolatai grass. Anyway - dropping off material to National Herbarium tomorrow for id. See this link for the twice bent awn: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Hyparrhenia~hirta
   19 Feb 2018
Confirmed as Coolatai grass this morning by the National Herbarium.

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Location information

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Additional information

  • True In flower
  • 30cm to 1 metre Plant height

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