INTRODUCED GRASSES

These grasses are hardly wildflowers but I found them in the booklet Wildflowers of the Granite Belt under the section of introduced weeds.

Wildflowers of the Granite Belt

When you look at a photograph like this, what do you see?

Storm brewing on the Granite Belt

Do you see a storm brewing?

Do you see a restless horse pacing the fence?

Do you see the thick blanket of eucalyptus trees on the hills.

Do you see the grass and recognise the variety?

Or do you just see a tranquil country view?

I can look at a view like this and see many things. In particular I see that there are no cattle grazing on this green grass and I ask myself the question, “Why?Why do people grow grass if not to feed it to grazing animals. Is it possible that this particular grass is a variety that animals will not eat?”

Did you ever think that grazing animals my be choosy about what grasses they are willing to eat?

Grass on our farm

This is a view of grass on our land where a herd of cattle have been grazing for two years. Clearly they have chosen not to eat this grass variety. It is African lovegrass.

African lovegrass or Weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) is an introduced grass of generally low palatability and great genetic variability. It has colonised many roadsides on lighter soils and can be an aggressive invader of disturbed or unhealthy native and sown pastures in many districts of south-east Queensland. Where there are limited amounts of the plant, its spread should be minimised using suitable management practices.

Lovegrass

African Lovegrass is a native of East Africa from Tanzania to Capetown. It was introduced into Australia early this century as a contaminant in pasture seed and as a potential sown pasture.  The grass and some of its related species are grown as pastures in some less fertile and arid areas of Africa, south-central United States and Argentina. However intensive management is needed to obtain best production from the plant in regions where it is climatically adapted.

African lovegrass is a perennial from sub-tropical environments, particularly areas with significant elevation. It grows from 0.5 m to 1.2 m tall; stems are slender or robust and erect or weeping in habit. The leaf is thin up to 0.3 cm wide, and grows to over 50 cm long. The leaf is variable in colour from bluish to green and curls at the tip when dry.  As the plant grows it forms a solid tussock with each stem having a round, straw-coloured base. It has a dense mat of surface roots that anchor the plant very firmly. As the plant ages the inner stems of the tussock die off leaving dead un-productive stem and root material in the centre of the plant. Seeds are formed on a grey, much branched head. They are 0.5 to 1.5 mm in length and tightly packed into flattened, overlapping groups. The plant is mainly summer growing but in Queensland it will go to seed at any time of the year after rain, providing temperatures are high enough. Autumn and spring growth is quite vigorous where moisture is available.

In Queensland the plant has been recorded in the pastoral districts of Leichhardt, Darling Downs, Southern Downs, Burnett, Port Curtis, Wide Bay, Maranoa, Moreton and Warrego. It is most common in the uplands of the Great Dividing Range south of Gayndah but has potential to spread more widely. It is found in many habitats and is becoming increasingly common on roadsides before spreading into grazing paddocks and abandoned cultivations. It can grow in lighter soils of low nutritional status with low phosphorus and in very acid conditions. The seeds are spread by water, animals and as a contaminant in seed and soil. By far the most common means of spread in Queensland seems to be by roadside slashing, earthworks and motor vehicles.

African lovegrass is palatable to stock when young but it soon runs to seed and forms a tough closed tussock. The leaf of the plant is fibrous and difficult  for stock to digest once dry. In fact the leaf from some types is used in weaving and basket making in Africa. Unless African lovegrass is slashed or burnt the stem and leaf will not be utilised by stock except under heavy stocking rates or where there is no pasture choice. Being a prolific seeder the plant soon develops a large viable seed bank in the pasture making it difficult to eradicate and very competitive with all other pasture species. It seems unable to persist in drier climates west of the Darling Downs.

There are no easy control methods for the plant.

Whiskey grass at Das Helwig Haus

And when you see a field of russet coloured grass like this on the Granite Belt during the autumn and winter months, what do you see?

Do you ask yourself why no animals are grazing on it?

Do you see it as an introduced weed?

It is always difficult in the grazing situation to determine when a plant should be classed as a weed.

The classic definition of a weed is a plant growing out of place.

Whiskey grass arrived in this country not long after first settlement (as it was used for packing American whiskey bottles hence the name) and never considered a problem.

One of the other common names for the plant is Poverty grass, as it has been mainly found only growing in poor soils along roadsides and railway embankments.

It appears that this is no longer the case, as in recent years Whiskey grass has been spreading into pasture areas.

No doubt this has been partly due to the fact that competition has been reduced because of the drought.

Whether it keeps spreading or not only time will tell, but it is widespread on the Granite Belt.

Whiskey grass weed

Both African lovegrass and the Whiskey grass had infested our property long before we bought this farm in 1992. I look at this Whiskey grass at this time every year and think what a wonderful resource it could be if only we knew how to utilize it. The grass is as soft as raffia, which is obviously why it was originally used as a packing material.

Any ideas, anyone?

Meanwhile each year, as cattle will not eat these two grasses, we are obliged to burn our land at the end of winter to prevent summer bush fires.

Controlled burn by the Rural Bushfire Brigade

In my book Wildflowers, wilderness and wine I describe what happens when a bushfire burns through such grass country in October, destroying homes and taking a life.

Go to http://www.australia-book.com.au for further information.

Wildflowers, wilderness and wine

If you enjoy my account of life on our farm on the Granite Belt you may also enjoy my account of a holiday I spent with Eberhard in Germany. While we strolled the countryside and I took photographs, Eberhard recounted how he had spent the first 24 years of his life. It was such a great story that I am now sharing it with you via weekly posts on http://fayhelwigauthor.com ENJOY!