Scientific name(s)
Themeda triandra
Strengths
- Native grass.
- Persistent under low soil nitrogen conditions.
- Very palatable to livestock pre-flowering.
- Rapid early spring growth.
- Seed can be harvested from native pasture stands.
Limitations
- Seeding and seedling recruitment required for long term persistence of sward.
- Chaffy seed difficult to harvest, handle and sow.
- Low seed purity.
- Large seed and relatively few seeds/kg requiring high sowing rates and high cost of pasture establishment.
- Susceptible to competition from weeds, especially annual grass weeds.
- Low seed germination.
- Slow seedling growth compared with many sown grasses and low production in the establishment year.
- Early maturity and low autumn feed quality.
- Intolerant of waterlogging.
Plant description
Plant: A native, tufted, perennial warm season grass.Stems: Culms erect; up to 1.5m tall, usually unbranched, smooth, often becoming golden-coloured at maturity. Nodes hairless.
Leaves: Leaves growing from the base of the stems. Leaf-blades 15-50 cm long; 2-5 mm wide, green or sometimes bluish, folded with a more or less clasping base, becoming more or less flat along the blade towards the acutely pointed tip. Ligule, a ciliolate membrane later splitting into a rim of short hairs with some longer, marginal hairs.
Seedhead: An open, , usually reddish-coloured panicle 10-30 cm long, with long awns on the seed clusters.
Seeds: 100,000-325,000 seeds/kg.
Pasture type and use
Widespread in Australian native pastures, but abundant only in areas subject to low growing season grazing pressure. Rarely sown as permanent pastures and then on very small scale. Used mainly as an amenity grass in landscapes; often planted from tube stock.
Where it grows
Rainfall
It grows over a wide rainfall range, about 500-2000 mm/yr.
Soils
It is adapted to a wide range of soils, from sands to heavy clay soils, and does particularly well on more fertile red and dark forest soils.
Temperature
It grows during the warm season and tops are killed by heavy frost.
Establishment
Companion species
Grasses: queensland bluegrass, weeping grass (microlaena).
Legumes: annual medics, clovers, birdsfoot trefoil.
Sowing/planting rates as single species
10 kg/ha.
Sowing/planting rates in mixtures
5 kg/ha.
Sowing time
It can be sown from spring to late summer.
Inoculation
Not applicable.
Fertiliser
No fertiliser is needed for establishment.
Management
Maintenance fertliser
No maintenance fertiliser is required but it will respond to a moderate level of nitrogen (say 50 kg N/ha).
Grazing/cutting
Periodic seeding, perhaps on average every third year, is required for stand persistence and can be achieved by rotational spelling of paddocks following good spring or early summer rain. It can be cut for hay yielding 2-5 t/ha from native pasture stands, depending on stage of growth, soil fertility and rainfall.
Seed production
It can be harvested with brush harvesters. Seed yield of 50-100 kg/ha may be achieved. Freshly harvested seed may be dormant for up to 12 months.
Ability to spread
It spreads on animal coats and in mud on hoofs.
Weed potential
It has negligible weed potential.
Major pests
There are no known major pests.
Major diseases
There are no known major diseases.
Herbicide susceptibility
It is killed by glyphosate, but is tolerant of atrazine.
Animal production
Feeding value
Forage quality declines with maturity to low levels in winter, especially when the top is killed by frost.
Palatability
It is very palatable while green.
Production potential
The carrying capacity is about the same as for other native grass pastures on the same soil type.
Livestock disorders/toxicity
It is low in oxalate and therefore suitable for horses.
Cultivars
| Cultivar | Seed source/Information |
| Burrill | Native Seeds |
Tangara | Native SeedsPlant Breeders Rights Database |
| Mingo | Plant Breeders Rights Database |
Denotes that this variety is protected by Plant Breeder's Rights AustraliaFurther information
Tothill, J.C. and Hacker, J. B. (1983) The Grasses of Southern Queensland. St Lucia: University of Queensland PressGrassBase - The Online World Grass FloraGrassland Species Profiles -Themeda triandraGrassland Species Profiles - Themeda australisNSW DPI Grassed up - Themeda triandraEcological Management & Restoration
Author and date
Dr. Walter Scattini, October 2008
