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Giant rat’s tail grass

Sporobolus pyramidalis
Landscape: , | Plant Form:
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Giant rat’s tail grass is a tufted perennial to about 1.8 m tall.

It occurs as a weed in pastures and bushland areas, particularly on poorer soils.

It produces leaf blades that are tough and difficult for cattle to graze, leading to reduced feed intake and reduced animal production.

The seed heads are generally a ‘rat’s tail’ like spike when young and may branch to an elongated pyramidal shape when mature.

Giant rat’s tail grass is native to Africa.

Its seed is orange-brown, tapered-cylindrical, about 1 mm long. Roots are fibrous.

The grass has a dense branched panicle up to 2540 cm long and stiff, erect overlapping branches, which usually open at maturity, becoming pyramid shaped.

Leaves are 68 mm wide and folded or rolled. They are hairless, although sometimes with a few rigid hairs on the lower leaves. The leaves can be a distinct yellow colour in autumn to winter.

The grass flowers for most of the year.

At maturity seeds become sticky and may attach to hair or fur. Also moved by water, wind and machinery.

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