Austrostipa mollis

Austrostipa mollis, also known as the soft speargrass or supple speargrass is a robust, erect tufted perennial speargrass in the Poaceae family. It is native to Australia, and found in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, ACT and Tasmania.[1]

Austrostipa mollis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Pooideae
Genus: Austrostipa
Species:
A. mollis
Binomial name
Austrostipa mollis
(R.Br.) S.W.L.Jacobs & J.Everett

It was first described as Stipa mollis by Robert Brown in 1810 from a specimen collected in Tasmania.[2] In 1996 was transferred to the genus Austrostipa.[3]

Description

A perennial erect, robust and tufted grass to 1.4 m tall. Stem nodes have downy hairs. Leaves are tufted at the base of the plant, usually glabrous, and densely hairy above reaching 30-50% of the stem length. Inflorescence up to 30cm long in a dense panicle. Glumes purplish or green, 16-22 mm long. Lemma 7.5–9 mm long, pale or reddish brown at maturity. Hairs are semi-appressed, 0.6-2 mm long, that spiral and appear white to golden except toward apex. Palea about equal to lemma, with a line of hairs down the centre. Flowers September to December.[4]

Habitat

The plant grows in moist to dry soils, particularly in heathy woodlands. It is frost and snow tolerant and grows in full sun to semi shade.[5] Can be propagated by seed sown in autumn to early winter.[6] Occurs in a wide range of habitats with sandy and/or low fertility soils (e.g. coastal dunes and headlands, slightly saline flats, shrubland and dry eucalypt forest).

  • Habit of Austrostipa mollis
    Habit of Austrostipa mollis
  • Inflorescence of Austrostipa mollis
    Inflorescence of Austrostipa mollis
  • Austrostipa mollis seed
    Austrostipa mollis seed

References
  1. "Austrostipa mollis - APNI Index". biodiversity.org.au. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  2. "Austrostipa mollis - Usage of a plant APNI". APNI. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  3. S.W.L. Jacobs; J. Everett (1996). "Austrostipa, a new genus, and new names for the Australasian species formerly included in Stipa (Gramineae)". Telopea. 6 (4): 586. ISSN 0312-9764. Wikidata Q104256929.
  4. Stajsic, Val. "Flora of Victoria - Austrostipa Mollis". vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  5. "Austrostipa mollis". Yarra Ranges Council - Local Plant Directory. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  6. "Supple Spear-grass, Soft Spear-grass". TreeProject. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
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