(Nassella charruana)

 

 

Image: lobed needle grass, © D. McLaren, Australian Plant Image Index.

What is lobed needle grass?    

• Lobed needle grass is a serious weed of open woodlands and introduced and native grasslands including grasslands dominated by other Nassella species.  
• Lobed needle grass is a declared weed in Tasmania under the Tasmanian Weed Management Act 1999. The importation, sale and distribution of lobed needle grass are prohibited in Tasmania.
• Lobed needle grass is on the National Alert List for Environmental Weeds, a list of 28 non native plants that threaten biodiversity and cause other environmental damage. 
• Closely related to serrated tussock, and Chilean needle grass, both Weeds of National Significance (WoNS).

Image: lobed needle grass in the field, © D. McLaren, Australian Plant Image Index.

How to identify lobed needle grass

• Lobed needle grass is a perennial tussock that can grow up to 100 cm high.
• Stems and leaves are tightly rolled and very smooth to touch. The bright green leaves feel like nylon cord when sliding fingers down the length of the leaf blade.
• Seeds are around 6-8 cm long with two white lobes that look like wings surrounding the seed. The seed heads lean to one side and appear to shimmer in the afternoon sun.
• It grows mainly in open areas, in direct sunlight or light shade, and on clay soils. It is tolerant to waterlogging and appears to prefer wet depressions. 
• Lobed needle grass is an extremely invasive weed due to its competitiveness, un-palatability and very sharp and clinging seeds.
• See the Nassella species identification comparison table below for more information on identification.
  

Lobed needle grass in Tasmania

• Lobed needle grass is not naturalised in Tasmania at present. 
  

What is the legal status of lobed needle grass in your area?

• The legal responsibilities of landholders and other stakeholders in dealing with lobed needle grass are laid out in the Lobed Needle Grass Statutory Weed Management Plan. 

What you need to do?

• If you locate Lobed needle grass anywhere in Tasmania, or if you find a plant that you think could be Lobed needle grass, immediately contact Biosecurity Tasmania on 03 6165 3777 to report this weed.

Weed Links and Resources

Other useful links
Weeds in Australia
Lobed Needle Grass Weed Management Guide
Pest Genie
APVMA

Nassella species identification comparison table

	Lobed Needle Grass	Cane Needle Grass	Texas Needle Grass	Chilean Needle Grass	Serrated Tussock
Status	Introduced; Declared; an Alert List Weed.	Introduced; Declared; an Alert List Weed.	Introduced; Declared; an Alert List Weed.	Introduced; Declared; Weed of National Significance.	Introduced; Declared; Weed of National Significance.
Form	Tussock	Tussock	Tussock	Tussock	Tussock
Seed (outer casing of seed, the 'glume', removed to reveal detail.) (Click to enlarge image*)
'Corona', the collar at seed base	Present	Present	Present	Present	Absent
'Awn', the bristle-like seed tail	45-85mm double bent firmly fixed to seed coat	35-40mm Twisted and bent	35-60mm long Bent twice with 10-20mm to first bend	25-35mm Straight or double bent Firmly fixed seed coat	10mm Straight Readily detached from seed coat
'Cleistogenes', or stem seeds	Absent	Present	Present	Present	Absent
'Ligule', the flap at leaf base (Click to enlarge image*.)
Overall dimensions	0.5-1.0m high and 0.3 -0.5m across	to 1m high, to 0.3m across	1-1.5m high, 0.2 -0.5m across	1-1.5m high, 0.3 -0.6m across	to 1m high, to 0.6m acros
* Images in table: © 2003 Weed Management Guides, Lobed needle grass, Chilean needle grass, Serrated tussock, C'wlth Dept of the Env't & Heritage. © Chilean Needle Grass & Serrated Tussock Ligule photos: Harry Rose (Wikimedia).

 

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