Common Wheat-grass,
Native Wheat-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
| Mount Gambier (SVP02) | Southern Volcanic Plain | Near Threatened |
| Bridgewater (NCP01) | Naracoorte Coastal Plain | Near Threatened |
| Glenelg Plain (NCP02) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) |
| Lucindale (NCP03) | | Near Threatened |
| Tintinara (NCP04) | | Near Threatened [undercollected ] |
| Kangaroo Island (KAN01) | Kanmantoo | Near Threatened [(no records in BDBSA) comes up on roadsides] |
| Fleurieu (KAN02) | | Least Concern [comes up on roadsides; often seen] |
| Mount Lofty Ranges (FLB01) | Flinders Lofty Block | Least Concern [grassy ecosystem sp; comes up on roadsides; often seen] |
| Broughton (FLB02) | | Least Concern (Probable Decline) |
| Olary Spur (FLB03) | | Least Concern (Probable Decline) |
| Southern Flinders (FLB04) | | Least Concern (Probable Decline) |
| Northern Flinders (FLB05) | | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU D2) [restricted; could be declining] |
| Central Flinders (FLB06) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) |
| Southern Yorke (EYB01) | Eyre Yorke Block | Least Concern (Probable Decline) |
| St Vincent (EYB02) | | Least Concern (Probable Decline) |
| Eyre Hills (EYB03) | | Least Concern |
| Talia (EYB04) | | Least Concern |
| Eyre Mallee (EYB05) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) [atypical habitat] |
| Murray Mallee (MDD02) | Murray Darling Depression | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) |
| Murray Lakes and Coorong (MDD03) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) (Probable Decline) [limited habitat] |
| Wimmera (MDD05) | | Least Concern |
| Braemer (MDD07) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) |
| Murray Scroll Belt (RIV06) | Riverina | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) |
| Myall Plains (GAW01) | Gawler | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) [atypical habitat] |
| Gawler Volcanics (GAW02) | | Least Concern |
| Gawler Lakes (GAW03) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) |
| Nullarbor Plain (NUL02) | Nullarbor | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) |
| Barrier Range (BHC01) | Broken Hill Complex | Least Concern |
| Mount Gambier (SVP02) | Southern Volcanic Plain | Near Threatened |
| 4 of 4 subregions | Naracoorte Coastal Plain | Near Threatened , Rare |
| 2 of 2 subregions | Kanmantoo | Least Concern , Near Threatened |
| 6 of 6 subregions | Flinders Lofty Block | Least Concern , Rare , Vulnerable |
| 5 of 5 subregions | Eyre Yorke Block | Least Concern , Rare |
| 4 of 6 subregions | Murray Darling Depression | Least Concern , Rare |
| Murray Scroll Belt (RIV06) | Riverina | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) |
| 3 of 8 subregions | Gawler | Least Concern , Rare |
| Nullarbor Plain (NUL02) | Nullarbor | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) |
| Barrier Range (BHC01) | Broken Hill Complex | Least Concern |
Botanical art
Kath Alcock paintings: 9
Prior names
Triticum scabrum
Elymus scaber var. scaber
Triticum scaber, orth.var.
Festuca scabra, nom.illeg.
Agropyron scabrum
Elymus scabrus var. scabrus, orth.var.
Common names
Common Wheat-grass
Native Wheat-grass
Etymology
Anthosachne from the Greek 'anthos' meaning flower and 'achne' meaning scale, referring to the upper florets of the spikelet being sterile. Scaba from the Latin 'scaber' meaning rough or scaly rough, referring to the plant being covered with hard short rigid points
Distribution and status
Found in the southern part of South Australia, from the Eyre Peninsula to the lower South-east, growing in a variety of habitats and soil types. Also found in all States except in the Northern territory. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: Nullarbor, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Tall weeping perennial grass with erect or arching culms to 120 cm tall. Leaves mostly basal with blades narrow, fiat or filiform, scabrous on the edges. Inflorescence a 25 cm spike with numerous fertile spikelets on each. Flowering between July and December. Fruits are brown spike-head containing numerous individual seeds. Seed embryo type is lateral.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and February. Use hands to gently strip seeds off the mature seed spike that are 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.
| Location | No. of seeds
(weight grams) | Number
of plants | Date
collected | Collection number
Collection location | Date
stored | % Viability | Storage
temperature |
MSB |
3,800 (20.54 g) | 20 | 15-Nov-2007 | RJB55636
Northern Lofty | | 85% | |
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.
