Giant Paramatta/Rat's tail grasses

Family: Poaceae
Scientific name: Sporobolus fertilis/pyramidalis
Description: Plant Form: Perennial tussock grass. Size: Up to 2 m tall. Stem: Slender, somewhat wiry, usually unbranched. Leaves: Very narrow blades, 14-110 cm long, hairless, flat or somewhat rolled inward. Rim of hairs where the sheath meets the blade (ligule). Flowers: Thin, spike-like head 15-50 cm long, which matures from greyish-green to yellowish or reddish-brown. With several long branches held closely to stem, but sometimes drooping. Fruit and Seeds: Spikelets 1.5-2 mm long contain a single tiny flower inside a pair of bracts (glumes), which become yellowish-brown seeds and separate from the spikelet. Habitat: Pastures, roadsides, waste areas, open woodlands, grasslands, wetlands. Distinguishing Features: Very difficult to distinguish from other Rats tail grasses (Sporobolus species) but the combination of large size and closely held branches in the seed head may help to distinguish it. Weed Status: Declared Weed Weed Type: Agricultural Lifeform: Grassy

Example images for this weed