Windmill Grass
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.


Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
Display IBRA region text
Tintinara (NCP04) | Naracoorte Coastal Plain | Near Threatened |
Fleurieu (KAN02) | Kanmantoo | Least Concern [tough sp] |
Mount Lofty Ranges (FLB01) | Flinders Lofty Block | Least Concern [tough sp] |
Broughton (FLB02) | | Least Concern |
Olary Spur (FLB03) | | Least Concern |
Southern Flinders (FLB04) | | Least Concern |
Northern Flinders (FLB05) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) |
St Vincent (EYB02) | Eyre Yorke Block | Least Concern |
Murray Mallee (MDD02) | Murray Darling Depression | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) [should be more records; edge of range] |
Murray Lakes and Coorong (MDD03) | | Near Threatened [could be increasing] |
Wimmera (MDD05) | | Least Concern |
Murray Scroll Belt (RIV06) | Riverina | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU D2) [needs more survey work] |
Arcoona Plateau (GAW04) | Gawler | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) |
Kingoonya (GAW05) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) |
Roxby (GAW07) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) |
Barrier Range (BHC01) | Broken Hill Complex | Least Concern |
Bimbowrie (BHC05) | | Least Concern |
Curnamona (BHC06) | | Least Concern |
Strzelecki Desert (SSD05) | Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) |
Murnpeowie (STP03) | Stony Plains | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) |
Baltana (STP07) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) |
Tintinara (NCP04) | Naracoorte Coastal Plain | Near Threatened |
Fleurieu (KAN02) | Kanmantoo | Least Concern [tough sp] |
5 of 6 subregions | Flinders Lofty Block | Least Concern , Rare |
St Vincent (EYB02) | Eyre Yorke Block | Least Concern |
3 of 6 subregions | Murray Darling Depression | Least Concern , Near Threatened , Rare |
Murray Scroll Belt (RIV06) | Riverina | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU D2) [needs more survey work] |
3 of 8 subregions | Gawler | Rare |
3 of 4 subregions | Broken Hill Complex | Least Concern |
Strzelecki Desert (SSD05) | Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) |
2 of 7 subregions | Stony Plains | Rare |
Botanical art
Kath Alcock paintings: 4
Etymology
Chloris from the Greek 'chloros' meaning green, referring to its green leaves. Truncata from the Latin 'trunco' meaning abruptly cut off, referring to the lemma with a truncate apex.
Distribution and status
Found mainly in the south-east part of South Australia, growing on a range of soil types and communities. Also found in all mainland states except for the Northern Territory. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Arid Lands, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect, glabrous perennial grass to 50 cm high, forming a dense low crown, sometimes with short, branched stolons. Leaves with sheath glabrous, ligule short-ciliate and leaf blade to 5 mm wide. Spikes usually 6–9, digitate (shaped like a spread hand), radiating horizontally, to 20 cm long. Spikelets rather distant, arranged alternately in 2 rows on the underside, 2- or 3-flowered, upper empty, florets black when mature. Lower glume to 2.3 mm long and upper glume to 4.2 mm long. Fertile lemma narrow-elliptic, to 4.5 mm long, apex truncate, glabrous except for the appressed-pilose margins, awn to 15 mm long. Flowering between November and June (or possible in respond to rain). Seeds are small grain. Seed embryo type is lateral.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between December and August. Use hands to gently strip seeds off the mature seed spike that are fluffy from the hairs and turning straw colour. Mature seeds will come off easily. Alternatively, you can break off the whole seed spike. Place the seeds/spike in a tray and leave to dry for two weeks. No further cleaning is required if only seed collected. If seed spikes collected, use hand to strip off the mature seeds. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. Seed viability can be average.
Germination table:
Display
Date | Result | T0 | T50 | Pre-treatment | Germination medium | Incubator: Photoperiod / Thermoperiod |
Oct-14 | 96% | 10 | 10 |
250 mg/L gibberellic acid 24 h; 1% agar; Incubated under summer conditions |
Oct-14 | 82% | 10 | 10 |
1% agar; Incubated under summer conditions |
Oct-14 | 66% | 10 | 10 |
1% agar; Incubated under spring/autumn conditions |
Oct-14 | 54% | 10 | 34 |
250 mg/L gibberellic acid 24 h; 1% agar; Incubated under spring/autumn conditions |
Oct-14 | 30% | 10 | NA |
250 mg/L gibberellic acid 24 h; 1% agar; Incubated under winter conditions |
Oct-14 | 14% | 16 | NA |
1% agar; Incubated under winter conditions |
Result: Maximum percentage of germination observed.
T0: Number of days before first germinant observed.
T50: Number of days to achieve 50% germination.
Pre-treatment: The initial treatment that the seeds received prior to placement on germination media.
Germination medium: The substrate that seeds were placed on for the duration of the germination experiment.
Incubator conditions:
Photoperiod: The duration of light exposure that the seeds were subject to during a 24 hour period.
Thermoperiod: The constant or diurnal temperatures that seeds were subject to during a 24 hour period.
Winter conditions: 15°C 20 h (3am→11pm); 5°C 4 h (11pm→3am) / 10 h light (8am→6pm); 14 h dark (6pm→8am)
Spring/Autumn conditions: 22°C 12 h (8am→8pm); 10°C 12 h (8pm→8am) / 12 h light (8am→8pm); 12 h dark (8pm→8am)
Summer conditions: 30°C 14 h (6am→8pm); 15°C 10 h (8pm→6am) / 14 h light (6am→8pm); 10 h dark (8pm→6am)