November 28, 2016

Romantic Grass of the Week: Aristida ramosa (Purple Wire Grass). What comes up when shaved too much and skin is dry? Tall tussocks, warm season perennial to 1.2m tall. Often branching along wiry stems with very little leaf, as leaves dropped when dry. Leaves 1-3mm wide, flat or inrolled sometimes scabrous. Panicle is a purple seedhead 10-20cm long, narrow with loosely pressing branchlets across main axis. Seeds have a 3 branched awn. More common where groundcover is reduced. highly drought tolerant but frost sensitive. Thanks to Macleay Grass Man, Roger and Linda Clarke (Bunyhabee Grass Lands) and H. Rose for photos