Poa labillardierei

Short description: Species of tussock grass

Poa labillardierei

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Plantae
Clade:  | Tracheophytes
Clade:  | Angiosperms
Clade:  | Monocots
Clade:  | Commelinids
Order:  | Poales
Family:  | Poaceae
Subfamily:  | Pooideae
Genus:  | Poa
Species:  |

P. labillardierei

Binomial name
Poa labillardierei

Steud.[1]

Poa labillardierei, also known as common tussock-grass,[2] is a species of tussock grass that is endemic to Australia.[3] It is found in southern and eastern Australia, including Tasmania.[4] There are differing variations, Poa labillardierei var. acris Vickery and Poa labillardierei var. labillardierei.[5]

The species was formally described in 1854 by German botanist and physician Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel in Synopsis Plantarum Glumacearum.[6] The name is derived from Poa \- Greek word which means "fodder" and labillardierei - after the French botanist and explorer, J.J.H. de Labillardière.[4]

## Contents

* 1 Habitat
* 2 Distribution
* 3 Description
* 4 Propagation
* 5 Ecology
* 6 First Nation's uses
* 7 References

## Habitat

Poa labillardierei is most commonly growing in open forest communities, grassy woodland communities and in moister areas on low slopes and valley floors that are frequently wet.[4] They also grow on river flats and can extend up open sheltered slopes.[7] This plant is additionally frost tolerant.[8]

Poa labillardierei is also very commonly used within home gardens and landscaping.[8] It is a vigorous and tolerant grass, adding vertical interest in landscaping settings.[8] Poa labillardierei regenerates well after burning but the fire should not be very hot for a long time.[4]

## Distribution

Poa labillardierei is found in southern and eastern Australia, including Tasmania.[4]

## Description

Poa labillardierei is a dense coarsely tufted grasses and can reach a height of 120 cm.[4] The large grass is a perennial,[8] that germinates from seed or division.[4]

Leaves mostly basal, very long; sheath usually pallid at the base, upper ± scabrous; ligule c. 0.5 mm long, truncate; blade to 80 cm long, flat or inrolled, to 3.5 mm wide, scabrous, moderately rigid, tip fine, setaceous.[7] Poa labillardierei flowers in spring to summer.[4] Inflorescences are 10–25 cm long, with erect or erectly and loosely spreading branches. Spikelets 3–4(–8)-flowered, strongly laterally compressed.[7] Glumes broad to rather narrow, subacute to occasionally subacuminate. Lemmas firm, narrow to moderately broad, usually hairy, web usually copious, consisting of long hairs; palea firm, closely scabrous on the keels.[7]

## Propagation

Poa labillardierei can be propagated by division and germinates readily from seed, into prepared soil in autumn and winter.[4] The seedlings cannot grow in an area of continuous dry climate and needs moist soil to establish, but can germinate in frost and can tolerate a temperature in the 0 to -5 °C range.[4] It has a very fast growth rate, and once established, it needs very low maintenance and no irrigation.[4]

## Ecology

The common tussock-grass can form the dominant ground layer in grasslands of South-East Australia. Examples include in the Victorian Volcanic Plains, and Gippsland Plains Grassy Woodland.[9] This is in part due to its ability to regenerate well after fire and outcompete other species.[10][11]

Common tussock grass also provides excellent habitat for invertebrates, both in abundance and species richness. A study comparing plantings in urban parks that were either indigenous (with species endemic to an area), native or non-native discovered one patch of Poa labillardierei supported more indigenous insect species than any other plant, across all groups,[12] suggesting that it is an ideal species to support biodiversity, especially in urban settings with a lack of invertebrates.

Reptiles also rely on habitat provided by common tussock grass, including the tussock skink, and blue tongue lizard.

## First Nation's uses

The long leaves and stems of Poa labillardierei are used as string for basket making.[8]

Indigenous names include; Bobat (Woi wurrung) and Bowat (Wurundjeri).[13]

## References

1. ↑ "Poa labillardierei Steud". The Plant List. http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-436284. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
2. ↑ "Victorian Plant Name Index". Viridans. http://www.viridans.com/vicplantnames/scinames.htm. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
3. ↑ "Poa labillardierei". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Poa~labillardierei. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 Australian National Botanic Gardens, Parks Australia. "Poa labillardierei - Growing Native Plants" (in en). https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/trainees-2016/poa-labillardierei.html.
5. ↑ "Flora of Victoria". https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/b5dd411d-ca1e-4886-a989-7745ffd40afb.
6. ↑ "Poa labillardierei". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. http://www.anbg.gov.au/cgi-bin/apni?TAXON_NAME=Poa+labillardierei. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "PlantNET - FloraOnline". https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Poa~labillardierei.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 "Yarra Ranges Local Plant Directory" (in en-AU). https://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/PlantDirectory/Grasses-Rushes-Sedges/Poa-labillardierei-var.-labillardierei.
9. ↑ Victorian Resources Online, Agriculture Victoria. "Tussock Poa" (in en-AU). https://vro.agriculture.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/sip_tussock_poa.
10. ↑ Moore, Nicholas A.; Camac, James S.; Morgan, John W. (February 2019). "Effects of drought and fire on resprouting capacity of 52 temperate Australian perennial native grasses". New Phytologist 221 (3): 1424–1433. doi:10.1111/nph.15480. PMID 30216446.
11. ↑ "Poa tussock or tussock grass" (in en). 2017. https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pastures-and-rangelands/species-varieties/poa-tussock-or-tussock-grass.
12. ↑ Mata, Luis; Andersen, Alan N.; Morán-Ordóñez, Alejandra; Hahs, Amy K.; Backstrom, Anna; Ives, Christopher D.; Bickel, Daniel; Duncan, David et al. (June 2021). "Indigenous plants promote insect biodiversity in urban greenspaces". Ecological Applications 31 (4). doi:10.1002/eap.2309. PMID 33605502. Bibcode: 2021EcoAp..31E2309M. https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/eap.2309. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
13. ↑ "Poa Labillardierei - Common Tussock-Grass - Local Seeds" (in en-AU). https://www.localseeds.com.au/product/poa-labillardierei-common-tussock-grass/.

Wikidata ☰ Q13943002 entry

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