| DESCRIPTION: A grass with long, deep and vigorous rhizomes. Culms erect, generally 25-60 cm tall, with basal leaves. Leaves erect, narrow, grey-green, 10-30 cm long and 2-9 mm wide. Inflorescence grey-green, 2-4 cm long. USE: Used for permanent pasture and may have application for hay and silage. Ground cover (soil conservation) under trees, stabilisation of waterways, traffic areas. GROWING PERIOD: Perennial. COMMON NAMES: Brunswick grass. FURTHER INF: Native to Argentina (north), Brazil (south), Paraguay and Uruguay from about 21-25ºS in Paraguay to 35ºS in Uruguay and Argentina, and from 65ºW in Argentina to 50ºW in Brazil, at altitudes between sea level and 500 m. Found in areas with 700-1500 mm of annual rainfall and average annual temperatures between 16-23°C. It has good cool season growth. While preferring sandy soils, it has also proven adapted to light to medium clays, and even hard-setting sandy clay loams, provided internal drainage is fair to good and moisture is adequate. Although it is often found on infertile soils, it responds to improved fertility. It prefers acid to slightly alkaline soils with a pH up to 8. It is drought tolerant, survives short periods of flooding, but does not tolerate permanent waterlogging. DM yields ranged from 9-28 t/ha/year. |