Click below on a thumbnail map or name for species profiles. The main factors that determine the success of direct seeding indigenous species are seed quality and correct site preparation. Themeda triandra – Kangaroo Grass – Buy seeds at rarepalmseeds.com Seeds for sale starting at € 5.60. In Australia it has been used as an ornamental and landscape plant. If the seed is broadcast then it should be lightly covered with harrows. Most T. triandra seed samples have some level of dormancy. If material has been harvested with a forage harvester to be used as seed containing mulch then cleaning is not necessary. It is also known to be resistant to fire, the resistance increasing when burnt regularly, but only if rested after fire and if overgrazing does not occur. Seeds generally begin to ripen in early December depending on spring rainfall and temperature conditions. The sterile spikelets are retained on the seed heads and it is often difficult to determine whether the seeds have actually fallen or not. glabrous) or slightly hairy (i.e. The seed is eaten in times of famine. The pendulous, purple-red flower spikes are most attractive from September to June. Fishing closures, restrictions and permits, Volunteer non-commercial kangaroo shooting, NSW Hunting Stakeholder Consultation Group, Zoonoses - Animal diseases that can infect people, Forest contractor training and certification scheme, Grassed up - guidelines for revegetating with Australian native grasses, Astrebla pectinata (Barley Mitchell grass), Austrodanthonia bipartita (Wallaby grass), Austrodanthonia richardsonii (Wallaby grass), Dichanthium sericeum (Queensland bluegrass), Microlaena stipoides (Microlaena or Weeping grass), Paspalidium jubiflorum (Warrego summer grass). perennial) grass usually growing less than 1 m tall. Approaching optimum harvest time is associated with a change in crop colour from greenish to yellowish brown. It produces spear-shaped seeds that are activated by water, either through increased humidity or when it rains. T. triandra is the only species occurring in Africa, but it is also found in Asia and Australasia. There seems to be little association between abundance of T. triandra and a specific soil type. About 50 g of seed/100 m drill row will give this seed density. The seeds are edible and can be ground into a flour. The ligule (Ligule - a membrane or hairs found on the inner (adaxial) surface of the leaf-blade/sheath junction) is a rim of hairs and the leaves are folded in the bud. Themeda triandra seeds mostly germinate in mid summer, but will still germinate in early autumn. Themeda Themeda. Kangaroo grass can still be seen in remnant plains grasslands and sclerophyll, redgum and box woodlands as well as open grassy forests. Themeda triandra Click to Enlarge: Themeda triandra Click to Enlarge: Themeda triandra Click to Enlarge: Themeda triandra Click to Enlarge: Themeda triandra Leaf|Seed The Plants Database includes the following 6 species of Themeda . After the rains in February and March, seeds can be planted but these will only germinate the following spring. Plants from higher altitudes tend to be shorter and dark purple, whereas at lower altitudes plants are often lighter coloured and flushed only with purple. During this time plants produce large, distinctive, red-brown spikelets carried on branched stems. High drought tolerance; High heat tolerance Once established, little maintenance is needed except cutting back in winter to about one-third of its size and removing most of the old dead leaves. Primary dormancy will usually break down slowly with storage periods of up to 12 months or more. It is very widely adapted and grows on soils ranging from sand to heavy clays. Nodes hairless. It is also occasionally used as an ornamental plant. The meaning of the genus name Themeda is obscure, but it is Arabic and appears to have something to do with water or possibly the lack thereof. The blue weeping foliage will flower in … Themeda triandra is a very hardy, evergreen, tall, tufted grass with foliage in many shades of green that turn reddish when older. Other species. Themeda triandra (Kangaroo grass) was one of the more widespread grassy understorey dominants. Some forms have bright yellow culms (stems). By contrast, Sindel et al. In eastern Australia flowering occurs throughout summer from December to late April. For small areas like this Themeda triandra crop at our seed production area, seed can be hand broadcast onto a cultivated surface. The spikelets are also awned, that is they have long stiff bristle-like projections. Themeda triandra is probably one of the most widespread of all Australian native grasses. Lyn FishNational Herbarium, PretoriaApril 2004, SA Distribution: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Flowering season: Spring, Early Summer, Late Summer, Autumn. It is also known to be resistant to fire, the resistance increasing when burnt regularly, but only if rested after fire and if overgrazing does not occur. Its leaves are 10-50 cm long and 2-5 mm wide, green to grey drying to an orange brown in summer. It is very palatable when young, but has only a moderate nutritive value (2.8 to 12.4% crude protein). An established plant can be obtained from a nursery or, depending on the rains in November or December, whole culms with inflorescences can be cut and laid on the ground. T. triandra occurs on a wide variety of soils from sandy soils to heavy clays. The pendulous, purple-red flower spikes are most attractive from September to June. Not registered yet? Themeda triandra is an indicator of the veld being in good condition. This transition can occur over 1–2 days if conditions are hot and dry. Older leaves tend to have a red/brown appearance. Login to add your Comment Seed cleaning is not a difficult exercise but large amounts of trash must be processed to obtain a relatively small amount of seed. SOILS . 1990. Kangaroo grass appears to be most common in situations where grazing disturbance is low, water runs on areas and where fires occur periodically. Themeda triandra is a very important and well-known grazing grass that is palatable especially when young. It produces distinct large red … Themeda triandra Forssk. T. triandra occurs in both grasslands and grassy woodlands as well as under grassy forests. Acocks' Notes: key grasses of South Africa. This dormancy can usually be broken by subjecting dry seeds to diurnal alternating temperatures of 20°C–60°C for about a month. It is important, therefore, that available seed be used efficiently by maximising germination and establishment. The seed supply of Themeda triandra, syn. A very popular grass, widely distributed and common from Africa to tropical and subtropical Asia to Australasia. Because the seeds are fairly large (each seed weighs about 10 mg), they will emerge from about 15 mm in most soil types. Themeda arguens Christmas grass Themeda japonica . • Occurs across Australia from the arid inland to the UNIQWA, Phuthaditjhaba. Themeda triandra ‘Mingo’ Themeda triandra ‘Mingo’ This entry was posted in Plant Database on 28/12/2015 by carolyn. The long awns of the spikelet twirl when wet, and drive the seed into the ground. The 'plant indigenous' drive and the trend to 'wild gardens' in garden design has changed this. Themeda triandra “Mingo” is a ground covering form with blue foliage and will reach a height of 20 centimetres with a spread of 60 centimetres. Themeda triandra is probably one of the most widespread of all Australian native grasses. In other circumstances the addition of fertiliser appears not to benefit T. triandra. Although the grass grows in any type of soil, it prefers clay and soils with high organic content. Stems: Culms erect; up to 1.5m tall, usually unbranched, smooth, often becoming golden-coloured at maturity. T. australis (kangaroo grass), for revegetation purposes may always be limited given the biological constraints on its production. T. triandra has an extraordinarily wide distribution range from the mountains of New Guinea to Tasmania and from the east to the west of the Australian continent. Themeda triandra is a tufted perennial reaching a height of 1.5 metres with a spread of 0.5 metres. Adaptation: Will grow on a wide range of soil types from well drained sandy to clay texture soils. An extremely widely distributed species, occurring throughout Australia. The spikelets (grass flowers) form wedge-shaped, usually hanging clusters that may or may not be hairy, with long black or white hairs. Finches are fond of the seeds. Themeda triandra, commonly known as kangaroo grass, is a native perennial grass that grows widely across Australia. The flowering period is from December to February. When used as a landscape planting for colour contrast, little maintenance is needed once the area has become dominated by T. triandra. Guide to the grasses of southern Africa. Themeda triandra naturally grows over an extensive geographical range on many soil types , and adaptations to a wide variety of soils might be expected. Because the seeds are fairly large (each seed weighs about 10 mg), they will emerge from about 15 mm in most soil types. Although clay soils with a high organic content are preferred, if Themeda is occurring naturally in your area, you could try to grow it. • Characterised by seed heads of unique form and russet colour on erect stems ~40-150 cm tall. If T. triandra is sown in drill rows, seeds should be about 20 mm apart to give a rapid cover within the rows. Leaves: Leaves growing from the base of the stems. Fertile spikelets are indicated by the black, twisted awn and if the awns are no longer present in the seed heads, then the seeds have all fallen. Leistner, O.A. Briza Publications, Pretoria. The leaves are up to 50 cm long and 3 mm wide and the leaf blades bear sparse hairs. Where T. triandra plants are established as feature tussocks in a garden, little maintenance is necessary apart from weed control. The awns (bristles) must be present in the inflorescences while the rest of the stems will act as a mulch, which is important for germination of the seed. Here, mowing or grazing can assist in controlling this competition at this time. ); rooigras (Afr.). It is often common in areas where moisture collects and grazing is light, such as along roadsides or railway lines. Hagon and Chan (1977) found higher levels of germination in clay than sandy soils. Language: EnglishDeutschEspañolFrançais The journals of the early explorers and settlers make frequent reference to this grass. Chippindall, L.K.A. This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions. Show All Show Tabs kangaroo grass General Information; Symbol: THTR8 ... Themeda australis (R. Species. Themeda triandra could be grown in native cottage gardens, rockeries or as a border in garden beds. kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra) is a moderately-sized long-lived (i.e. Autumn is generally considered the best sowing time as soil surfaces tend not to dry out as quickly as they do in spring. 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