Giant rat's tail grass
Sporobolus natalensis
family
Poaceae
origin
Exotic
declaration
Category 3 Restricted Matter (Biosecurity Act 2014)
Must not be distributed or disposed. This means it must not be released into the environment unless the distribution or disposal is authorised in a regulation or under a permit.
Common names
Giant rat's tail grass, GRT grass, GRT.
An upright and long-lived grass growing 60-170 cm tall and forming large tussocks. Its very long and narrow leaf blades (20-50 cm long and 2-4 mm wide) may be flat or somewhat rolled. Its elongated seed-heads (20-30 cm long and about 3 cm wide) have many branches. These seed-head branches are initially held closely to the stem, but become more open and slightly drooping as they mature. Each of these branches bears numerous tiny flower spikelets (1.5-2 mm long).
Impact
Impact
Giant rat's tailgrass (Sporobolus natalensis) is a significant environmental weed in Queensland and northern New South Wales, and was recently listed as a priority environmental weed in at least one Natural Resource Management region. It invades native grasslands, open woodlands, conservation reserves and wetland areas. When fully established in an area, it can form a grass monoculture, excluding native plants and reducing biodiversity of native groundcover species. This can also have an impact on native herbivores, which find the plants unpalatable.Giant rat's tail grass (Sporobolus natalensis) is listed among among the exotic perennial grass species whose invasion of native plant communities in New South Wales has been listed as a "key threatening process". Along with Sporobolus pyramidalis, this species is ranked among the top 25 environmental weeds in south-eastern Queensland. It is also thought to pose a significant threat to rangeland biodiversity in central and northern Queensland, and heavy infestations may also increase fire intensity in sensitive environmental areas. The Giant rat's tail grasses (Sporobolus natalensis and Sporobolus pyramidalis) are already of concern in several conservation areas in Queensland.
Location
Location
Characteristics
Characteristics
Similar Species
Similar Species
Giant rat's tailgrass (Sporobolus natalensis) is a significant environmental weed in Queensland and northern New South Wales, and was recently listed as a priority environmental weed in at least one Natural Resource Management region. It invades native grasslands, open woodlands, conservation reserves and wetland areas. When fully established in an area, it can form a grass monoculture, excluding native plants and reducing biodiversity of native groundcover species. This can also have an impact on native herbivores, which find the plants unpalatable.Giant rat's tail grass (Sporobolus natalensis) is listed among among the exotic perennial grass species whose invasion of native plant communities in New South Wales has been listed as a "key threatening process". Along with Sporobolus pyramidalis, this species is ranked among the top 25 environmental weeds in south-eastern Queensland. It is also thought to pose a significant threat to rangeland biodiversity in central and northern Queensland, and heavy infestations may also increase fire intensity in sensitive environmental areas. The Giant rat's tail grasses (Sporobolus natalensis and Sporobolus pyramidalis) are already of concern in several conservation areas in Queensland.
