| DESCRIPTION: A tyfted erect grass, often very finely stemmed up to 30-80 cm tall with a bluish-green colour and soft silky seed-heads. Tufts never very large, generally 10ˆ15 cm diameter and with a fairly weak root system. Culms are densely branched at the base and often from the upper nodes. Leaves are flat, 8ˆ15 cm long, 2ˆ4 mm wide. USES Used for pasture it stands a good deal of trampling, but disappears if grazing becomes to heavy. Also makes a good soft hay. GROWING PERIOD Perennial growing spring to autumn. COMMON NAMES Queensland blue grass, Silky blue-stem. FURTHER INF Synonym: Adropogon sericeus. Queensland blue grass is common in open grassland on heavy black clay soils. It can be found at latitudes between 30°N to below 32°S. In Queensland, it is found at elevations between 200-300 m in the 500ˆ700 mm rainfall zone. Under heavy rainfall it becoms rank and unpalatable. Grows best on fertile, heavy black clays (vertisols) of neutral to alkaline pH. Tolerates saturated clays, seasonal waterlogging and poorer fertility. Reasonable drought tolerance. Intolerant of shade. |
