Lachnagrostis filiformis explained

Lachnagrostis filiformis (syn. Agrostis avenacea) is a species of grass known by the common names Pacific bent grass, New Zealand wind grass, fairy grass,^[1] or blown-grass. It is native to Australia, New Zealand, and other Pacific Islands including New Guinea and Easter Island. While it is found in a wide variety of habitats, it seems particularly invasive in areas with damp soils, such as areas near bodies of water.^[2] It has been introduced to southern Africa,^[3] the United Kingdom, Taiwan, the southern United States and Mexico.^[4]

Pacific bent grass is a tufted perennial grass growing up to 65 centimeters tall. The leaf blades are flat and about 8-25 centimeters long and 2-3 millimeters wide. The stems, which are round or polygonal, are hollow.^[5] The inflorescence, which appears in June and July, may be from 7-30 centimeters long. It consists of a panicle of wispy strands, each with several tiny, fuzzy spikelets at the end. The spikelets are two or three millimeters long.^[6]

In Australia it is a fire hazard,^{[7] [8]} and interferes with trains.^{[9] [10]}

Lachnagrostis filiformis is known elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed. It is particularly invasive in California, where it is a weed of sensitive vernal pool ecosystems around San Diego.^[11]

See also

• Invasive species

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment
• USDA Plants Profile
• Photo gallery

Notes and References

1. Web site: Fairy Grass . City of Ballarat . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120319185546/http://www.ballarat.vic.gov.au/waste-and-environment/environment/fairy-grass.aspx . 2012-03-19 .
2. Web site: Roberts. Philip D.. Parker. Chris. December 10, 2019. Agrostis avenacea (Pacific bent grass). April 22, 2021. CABI Invasive Species Compendium.
3. Web site: Agrostis avenacea J.F.Gmel.. 2021-04-22. www.gbif.org. en.
4. Web site: Jung. Ming-Jer. Wu. Tian-Shung. Kuoh. Chang-Sheng. September 30, 2005. Notes on Newly Recorded Grasses in Taiwan. April 22, 2021. ResearchGate.
5. Web site: Agrostis avenacea : Blown-grass NBN Atlas. 2021-04-22. species.nbnatlas.org.
6. Web site: Agrostis avenacea. 2021-04-22. ucjeps.berkeley.edu.
7. News: Opinions Split Over Fairy Grass Solutions . The Wimmera Mail-Times . 20 Jan 2012.
8. Web site: Controlling Lachnagrostis filiformis (Fairy grass) on dry lake beds in western Victoria, Australia . https://archive.today/20120708170354/http://archimedes.ballarat.edu.au:8080/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/21708 . dead . 2012-07-08 .
9. News: Trekking millipedes sideline trains . The Age . 29 March 2012.
10. Web site: Ballarat line infrastructure . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130412144623/http://railgallery.wongm.com/ballarat-station/ . 2013-04-12 .
11. http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/management/plant_profiles/Agrostis_avenacea.php California Invasive Plant Council