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Useful Temperate Plants

Sporobolus caroli

Mez

Poaceae

+ Synonyms

Sporobolus subtilis F. Muell.

Common Name: Fairy Grass

Sporobolus caroli
Flowerheads are delicate, broad, open panicles to 25cm long with very fine branches. Spikelets are numerous and tiny (about 1 mm long).
Photograph by: Harry Rose
Creative Commons License
Sporobolus caroli Sporobolus caroli Sporobolus caroli

General Information

Sporobolus caroli is a clump-forming, annual to short-lived perennial grass with erect, slender culms 30 - 75cm tall.
The seed is sometimes gathered from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

285
Title
Florabase
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database of Western Australian plants

Range

Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, Northern Territories.

Habitat

Floodplains in clay soils[
285
Title
Florabase
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database of Western Australian plants
]. Grows on floodplains of inland rivers and creeks; also roadsides, wasteland and other disturbed sites[
365
Title
Flora of New South Wales
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/floraonline.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line resource giving a brief botanical description of all the native plants of New South Wales, their habitat and range, together with diagrams and photographs of the plants.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
HabitAnnual/Perennial
Height0.40 m
PollinatorsWind
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

A plant of warm temperate to tropical areas of Australia.
Species in this genus generally succeed in any well drained soil in a sunny position[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. This species is often found in seasonally inundated soils.

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked. It can be ground into a flour[
177
Title
Plants for Human Consumption.
Publication
 
Author
Kunkel. G.
Publisher
Koeltz Scientific Books
Year
1984
ISBN
3874292169
Description
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
]. The seed is small but it falls easily from the husk[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer if they have grown sufficiently. Otherwise, grow them on in a greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring of the following year.
Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Sporobolus+caroli>

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