Austrostipa elegantissima 3308
Author: (Jacques-Julien Houtou de La Billardière (1755-1834)) Surrey Wilfrid Laurance Jacobs (1946-2009) & Joy Everett (1953-)Family: Poaceae Subfamily: Pooideae Tribe: Stipeae
Genus: Austrostipa
Synonym(s): Stipa elegantissima
English name: Tall feather spear-grass
Zone: Australia
Description
This species occurs in southern Australia from far western Western Australia southeast through southern South Australia to central New South Wales and north-eastern Victoria, with isolated records in north-eastern New South Wales. It is often found on roadsides and in shrubby and/or mallee communities that are little grazed. It occurs on granite, shale, calcareous and limestone soils, from clays to deep sands.
Austrostipa elegantissima Observed in Australia by Ben and Lydia (license)
Botanical Description
The plants are to circa 1m tall. The culms are glabrous.
The ligule of the leaves is 2-3mm long, obtuse, erose, glabrous. The auricles are glabrous. The blade is tightly rolled, 1.5-2mm wide, not ciliate, slightly to moderately ribbed, glabrous or scabrous on abaxial surface, villous on adaxial surface.
The inflorescence is pyramidal, 15-25cm long, with whorls of long, few-flowered compound branches spreading widely. The branch hairs are 1.5-2mm long. The glumes are usually subequal, 7-12mm long, acute, pilose on nerves, scabrous between. The callus is 0.5-0.8mm long, almost straight, white-sericeous. The lemma is 4.5-10mm long, tuberculate, black at maturity, mainly glabrous. The coma is absent. The lobes are minute to 0.8mm long. The awn is 20-50mm long, strongly once-geniculate, often with another weak bend. The palea is circa 50% of length of lemma.
References
- Flora of Australia. Austrostipa elegantissima
- Grasses of Australia. Austrostipa elegantissima
- Grasses of the New South Wales slopes, Harry Rose. 2016 pag. 80. ISBN
The ligule of the leaves is 2-3mm long, obtuse, erose, glabrous. The auricles are glabrous. The blade is tightly rolled, 1.5-2mm wide, not ciliate, slightly to moderately ribbed, glabrous or scabrous on abaxial surface, villous on adaxial surface.
The inflorescence is pyramidal, 15-25cm long, with whorls of long, few-flowered compound branches spreading widely. The branch hairs are 1.5-2mm long. The glumes are usually subequal, 7-12mm long, acute, pilose on nerves, scabrous between. The callus is 0.5-0.8mm long, almost straight, white-sericeous. The lemma is 4.5-10mm long, tuberculate, black at maturity, mainly glabrous. The coma is absent. The lobes are minute to 0.8mm long. The awn is 20-50mm long, strongly once-geniculate, often with another weak bend. The palea is circa 50% of length of lemma.
References
- Flora of Australia. Austrostipa elegantissima
- Grasses of Australia. Austrostipa elegantissima
- Grasses of the New South Wales slopes, Harry Rose. 2016 pag. 80. ISBN
References for the genus
- Austrostipa (Poaceae) in Western Australia: new species, new records, keys, and character notes., Williams, Alexander R. Nuytsia 2022 Vol. 33 pag. 39-101. DOI
- Austrostipa (Poaceae) subgenus Lobatae in Western Australia, Williams, Alexander. Telopea 2011 Vol. 13. DOI
- Austrostipa, a new genus, and new names for the Australasian species formerly included in Stipa (Gramineae), Surrey Jacobs & Joy Everett. Telopea 1996 Vol. 6(4) pag. 479-595. DOI
- Austrostipa, for Australasian species formerly included in Stipa (Gramineae), Jacobs, SWL and Everett, J. Telopea 1996 Vol. 6(4) pag. 579-595. Address
- Identification Guide to Southern African Grasses (Strelitzia 36), L Fish, AC Mashau, MJ Moeaha, MT Nembudani. 2016 pag. 109-110. ISBN
- Austrostipa (Poaceae) subgenus Lobatae in Western Australia, Williams, Alexander. Telopea 2011 Vol. 13. DOI
- Austrostipa, a new genus, and new names for the Australasian species formerly included in Stipa (Gramineae), Surrey Jacobs & Joy Everett. Telopea 1996 Vol. 6(4) pag. 479-595. DOI
- Austrostipa, for Australasian species formerly included in Stipa (Gramineae), Jacobs, SWL and Everett, J. Telopea 1996 Vol. 6(4) pag. 579-595. Address
- Identification Guide to Southern African Grasses (Strelitzia 36), L Fish, AC Mashau, MJ Moeaha, MT Nembudani. 2016 pag. 109-110. ISBN
General specifications
Biological type: grass
Frost resistance: 19ºF
Leaf color: green gray
Specifications for the Mediterranean basin
Adult size (h x w): 3,2ft x 3,2ft
Plant with a spacing of: 2,9ft
Sun exposure: full sun (Sun hours: >6h Foliage: evergreen
Growth: fast
Specific information for our garden
Planting substrate: 30%Compost+30%Coco+40%Sand
Plant watering: 1x a week pH 6.5
Logical sequence of containers for: Grasses; forestry plate, forest pot 3L, container 6L
Propagation is done by root division
Units in the garden: 53x
Ecology in its country of origin
Rainfall: 300-600mm
Gravelly soil: much
Sandy soil: much
Saline soil: a little
Frost resistance: 19ºF
Leaf color: green gray
Specifications for the Mediterranean basin
Adult size (h x w): 3,2ft x 3,2ft
Plant with a spacing of: 2,9ft
Sun exposure: full sun (Sun hours: >6h Foliage: evergreen
Growth: fast
Specific information for our garden
Planting substrate: 30%Compost+30%Coco+40%Sand
Plant watering: 1x a week pH 6.5
Logical sequence of containers for: Grasses; forestry plate, forest pot 3L, container 6L
Propagation is done by root division
Units in the garden: 53x
Ecology in its country of origin
Rainfall: 300-600mm
Gravelly soil: much
Sandy soil: much
Saline soil: a little
Sowing instructions
SPRING Sow the seeds on the surface of Well Drained Seed Sowing Mix and pouwder with 2mm Smoked Vermiculite (0,012g/cm²) between 64-72°F. During germination keep the substrate moist and in daylight. The seeds germinate in 6 weeks.
The average seed weight is 3921,6 per gram (0,000255g).
Germination references
- A continental-scale study of seed lifespan in experimental storage examining seed, plant, and environmental traits associated with longevity, Merritt, David J. and Martyn, Amelia J. and Ainsley, Phillip and Young, Renee E and Seed, Leahwyn U and Thorpe, Michael and Hay, Fiona R and Commander, Lucy E and Shackelford, Nancy and Offord, Catherine A and others. Biodiversity and Conservation 2014 Vol. 23 pag. 1081-1104. Address
- Seed moisture content affects afterripening and smoke responsiveness in three sympatric Australian native species from fire-prone environments, Turner, Shane and Merritt, David and Renton, Michael and Dixon, Kingsley. Austral Ecology 2009 pag. . DOI
- Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and, Evolution of Dormancy and Germination, Baskin, Carol and Baskin, J.M. 2014 pag. 1-1586. DOI
- Understanding the seed ecology of southwest Australian Rutaceae to improve restoration in a biodiversity hotspot, Just, Michael. 2022. Address
The average seed weight is 3921,6 per gram (0,000255g).
Germination references
- A continental-scale study of seed lifespan in experimental storage examining seed, plant, and environmental traits associated with longevity, Merritt, David J. and Martyn, Amelia J. and Ainsley, Phillip and Young, Renee E and Seed, Leahwyn U and Thorpe, Michael and Hay, Fiona R and Commander, Lucy E and Shackelford, Nancy and Offord, Catherine A and others. Biodiversity and Conservation 2014 Vol. 23 pag. 1081-1104. Address
- Seed moisture content affects afterripening and smoke responsiveness in three sympatric Australian native species from fire-prone environments, Turner, Shane and Merritt, David and Renton, Michael and Dixon, Kingsley. Austral Ecology 2009 pag. . DOI
- Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and, Evolution of Dormancy and Germination, Baskin, Carol and Baskin, J.M. 2014 pag. 1-1586. DOI
- Understanding the seed ecology of southwest Australian Rutaceae to improve restoration in a biodiversity hotspot, Just, Michael. 2022. Address
Experiences in the garden
16-09-16A Obtaining seeds from seed provider Nindethana Seeds collected in 'Nindethana Seeds5>Wongan Hills Nature Reserve'. (Wild origin)
07-11-16 Send a batch to nursery Railhet, they did not geminate.
04-01-18B Obtaining seeds from seed provider Nindethana Seeds collected in 'Nindethana Seeds8>Wongan Hills Nature Reserve'. (Wild origin)
10-08-18 Sown seeds in a tray.
Protocol: Autumn Surface+Smoked Vermiculite Sowing mix+Sand >77°F Damp substrate+Light 4-6w
. . . 2018B Production of 2 plants in our nursery (Formerly of wild origin)
20-01-23 2x Dead plant: No information: Ombr11d C6.
27-08-19C Obtaining seeds from seed provider Nindethana Seeds collected in 'Nindethana Seeds14>Wongan Hills Nature Reserve'. (Wild origin)
08-04-20 Sown 20 seeds in a seed plate F and germinated at 27-04-20.
Protocol: Spring Surface+Smoked Vermiculite Sowing mix+Sand 64-72°F Damp substrate+Light 4-6w
04-05-20 Sown 60 seeds in a seed plate F and germinated at 27-05-20.
Protocol: Spring Surface+Smoked Vermiculite Sowing mix+Sand 68-77°F Damp substrate+Light 4-6w
29-03-21 Sown 240 seeds in a seed plate F and germinated at 27-04-21.
Protocol: Spring Surface+Smoked Vermiculite Sowing mix+Sand 59-68°F Damp substrate+Light 4-6w
18-01-22 Send a batch to nursery Antoniazzi.
04-10-23 Send a batch to nursery JBusa.
22-01-24 Send a batch to nursery JBBergamo.
27-03-24 Sown 240 seeds in a seed plate F, they did not geminate in Serre7.
Protocol: Spring Surface+Smoked Vermiculite Sowing mix+Sand 64-72°F Damp substrate+Light 6w
01-04-25 Sown 144 seeds in a seed plate F and germinated at 16-06-25, result: 2 units in Serre11.
Protocol: Spring Surface+Smoked Vermiculite Sowing mix+Sand 64-72°F Damp substrate+Light 6w
. . . 2020C Production of 26 plants in our nursery, they are planted in zone(s) JTAust2,Poetes (Formerly of wild origin)
18-04-24 3x Dead plant: No information: Serre6 F3 JTAust2,Poetes.
26-07-24 2x Dead plant: No information: Serre6 F3 JTAust2,Poetes.
. . . 2021C Production of 34 plants in our nursery: Serre6 1x F3 and planted in zone(s) Poetes (Formerly of wild origin)
03-11-23 1x Dead plant: No information: Poetes.
. . . 2025C Collection of seeds in the garden collected at 12-06-25. Stock (Formerly of wild origin) Index Seminum