Poa labillardierei, also known as common tussock-grass,[2] is a species of tussock grass that is endemic to Australia.[3] It is found in southern and eastern Australia, including Tasmania.[4] There are differing variations, Poa labillardierei var. acris Vickery and Poa labillardierei var. labillardierei.[5]
The species was formally described in 1854 by German botanist and physician Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel in Synopsis Plantarum Glumacearum.[6] The name is derived from Poa - Greek word which means "fodder" and labillardierei - after the French botanist and explorer, J.J.H. de Labillardière.[4]
Habitat
Poa labillardierei is most commonly growing in open forest communities, grassy woodland communities and in moister areas on low slopes and valley floors that are frequently wet.[4] They also grow on river flats and can extend up open sheltered slopes.[7] This plant is additionally frost tolerant.[8]
Poa labillardierei is also very commonly used within home gardens and landscaping.[8] It is a vigorous and tolerant grass, adding vertical interest in landscaping settings.[8]Poa labillardiereiregenerates well after burning but the fire should not be very hot for a long time.[4]
Distribution
Poa labillardierei is found in southern and eastern Australia, including Tasmania.[4]
Description
Poa labillardierei is a dense coarsely tufted grasses and can reach a height of 120 cm.[4] The large grass is a perennial,[8] that germinates from seed or division.[4]
Leaves mostly basal, very long; sheath usually pallid at the base, upper ± scabrous; ligule c. 0.5 mm long, truncate; blade to 80 cm long, flat or inrolled, to 3.5 mm wide, scabrous, moderately rigid, tip fine, setaceous.[7]Poa labillardierei flowers in spring to summer.[4]Inflorescences are 10–25 cm long, with erect or erectly and loosely spreading branches. Spikelets 3–4(–8)-flowered, strongly laterally compressed.[7]Glumes broad to rather narrow, subacute to occasionally subacuminate. Lemmas firm, narrow to moderately broad, usually hairy, web usually copious, consisting of long hairs; palea firm, closely scabrous on the keels.[7]
Propagation
Poa labillardierei can be propagated by division and germinates readily from seed, into prepared soil in autumn and winter.[4] The seedlings cannot grow in an area of continuous dry climate and needs moist soil to establish, but can germinate in frost and can tolerate a temperature in the 0 to -5 °C range.[4] It has a very fast growth rate, and once established, it needs very low maintenance and no irrigation.[4]
Ecology
The common tussock-grass can form the dominant ground layer in grasslands of South-East Australia. Examples include in the Victorian Volcanic Plains, and Gippsland Plains Grassy Woodland.[9] This is in part due to its ability to regenerate well after fire and outcompete other species.[10][11]
Common tussock grass also provides excellent habitat for invertebrates, both in abundance and species richness. A study comparing plantings in urban parks that were either indigenous (with species endemic to an area), native or non-native discovered one patch of Poa labillardierei supported more indigenous insect species than any other plant, across all groups.[12] Suggesting this is an ideal species to support biodiversity, especially in urban settings with a lack of invertebrates.
^Jacobs, S.W.L.; Whalley, R.D.B; Wheeler, D.J.B. "Poa labillardierei". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
^Moore, Nicholas A.; Camac, James S.; Morgan, John W. (February 2019). "Effects of drought and fire on resprouting capacity of 52 temperate Australian perennial native grasses". New Phytologist. 221 (3): 1424–1433. doi:10.1111/nph.15480. hdl:11343/284683. PMID30216446.
