Bluegrass - profile

Indicative distribution

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Key:

known

predicted

The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Dichanthium setosum

Conservation status in NSW: Vulnerable

Commonwealth status: Vulnerable

Profile last updated: 20 Dec 2023

Description

Bluegrass is an upright grass less than 1 m tall. It has mostly hairless leaves about 2-3 mm wide. The flowers are densely hairy and are clustered together along a stalk in a cylinder-shape. The flower-clusters grow in pairs at the end of an 8 cm-long stem and appear mostly during summer.

Distribution

Bluegrass occurs on the New England Tablelands, North West Slopes and Plains and the Central Western Slopes of NSW, extending to northern Queensland. It occurs widely on private property, including in the Inverell, Guyra, Armidale and Glen Innes areas.

Habitat and ecology

Flowering time is mostly in summer.
Associated with heavy basaltic black soils and red-brown loams with clay subsoil.
Often found in moderately disturbed areas such as cleared woodland, grassy roadside remnants and highly disturbed pasture. (Often collected from disturbed open grassy woodlands on the northern tablelands, where the habitat has been variously grazed, nutrient-enriched and water-enriched). It is open to question whether the species tolerates or is promoted by a certain amount of disturbance, or whether this is indicative of the threatening processes behind its depleted habitat.
Associated species include Eucalyptus albens, Eucalyptus melanophloia, Eucalyptus melliodora, Eucalyptus viminalis, Myoporum debile, Aristida ramosa, Themeda triandra, Poa sieberiana, Bothriochloa ambigua, Medicago minima, Leptorhynchos squamatus, Lomandra aff. longifolia, Ajuga australis, Calotis hispidula and Austrodanthonia, Dichopogon, Brachyscome, Vittadinia, Wahlenbergia and Psoralea species.
Locally common or found as scattered clumps in broader populations. The extensive distribution and wide environmental tolerances make predictions about suitable habitat difficult.

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Threats

Heavy grazing by domestic stock.
Clearing of habitat for pasture improvement and cropping.
Frequent fires, especially regular burning for agricultural purposes.
Invasion by introduced grasses such as Coolatai and African Lovegrass and Phalaris, as well as ox-eye daisy.
Road widening.
Potential for inappropriate slashing regimes to interrupt reproduction.
Due to the species low numbers, restricted distribution and recruitment/germination issues, there is a significantly increased extinction risk.

Recovery strategies

Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Office of Environment and Heritage has identified 16 priority actions to help recover the Bluegrass in New South Wales.

Activities to assist this species

Support local Landcare groups.
Assist with the control of feral rabbits.
Protect areas of known and potential habitat from frequent fire (< 5 year intervals).
Practice sustainable grazing to maintain native grass ground cover in areas of known and potential habitat.
Control invasive exotic grasses in areas of habitat.
Protect known populations and areas of potential habitat from pasture improvement and cropping.
Rehabilitate and protect degraded areas of potential habitat.
Report any new records of Bluegrass to the OEH.

Information sources

Blake, S.T. (1944) Monographic studies in the Australian Andropogoneae, Part 1, including revisions of the genera Bothriochloa, Capillipedium, Chrysopogon, Vetiveria and Spathia. University of Queensland Papers, Department of Biology 2(3): 50-51.
BRI Herbarium Records. () Databased specimen records from the Queensland Herbarium (Brisbane Botanic Gardens: Toowong).
Briggs, J.D. and Leigh, J.H. (1996) Rare or Threatened Australian Plants. Revised Edition. (CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne)
CANB Herbarium Records. () Databased specimen records from the Canberra Botanic Gardens and Australian National Botanic Gardens (CSIRO and Australian National Botanic Gardens: Canberra).
Hosking, J.R. and James, T.A. (1998) Native and exotic flora of the North Western Slopes upstream of the junction of the Peel and Namoi Rivers, New South Wales. Cunninghamia 5(3): 721-766
Jacobs, S.W.L. and Wall, C.A. (1993) Dichanthium. In Harden, G.J. (ed.) Flora of New South Wales. Volume 4 (New South Wales University Press: Sydney).
MEL Herbarium Records. () Databased specimen records from the National Herbarium of Victoria (Royal Botanic Gardens: Melbourne).
Stanley, T.D. and Ross, E.M. (1989) Flora of South-Eastern Queensland. Volume 3. Queensland Department of Primary Industries: Brisbane.
UNE Herbarium Records. () Databased specimen records from the University of New England (University of New England: Armidale).
Vickery, J.W. (1961) Flora of New South Wales. Gramineae. Contributions from the New South Wales National Herbarium. Flora Series 19(1): 47-48.

IBRA Bioregion	IBRA Subregion	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Plains	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Liverpool Range	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Northern Basalts	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Northern Outwash	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga	Known	None
Brigalow Belt South	Pilliga Outwash	Predicted	None
Brigalow Belt South	Talbragar Valley	Predicted	None
Darling Riverine Plains	Bogan-Macquarie	Known	None
Nandewar	Inverell Basalts	Known	None
Nandewar	Kaputar	Known	None
Nandewar	Nandewar Northern Complex	Known	None
Nandewar	Peel	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Armidale Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Bundarra Downs	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Deepwater Downs	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Eastern Nandewars	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Glenn Innes-Guyra Basalts	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Moredun Volcanics	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Nightcap	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Northeast Forest Lands	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Severn River Volcanics	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Stanthorpe Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Tingha Plateau	Predicted	None
New England Tablelands	Walcha Plateau	Known	None
New England Tablelands	Wongwibinda Plateau	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Dalmorton	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Macleay Gorges	Predicted	None
NSW North Coast	Tomalla	Known	None
NSW South Western Slopes	Inland Slopes	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Woodenbong	Known	None

Images

Seed-head Bluegrass Image 1 of 2.
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