Spinifex longifolius
| Beach spinifex | |
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| Spinifex longifolius | |
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| Species: | S. longifolius
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| Binomial name | |
| Spinifex longifolius | |
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Spinifex longifolius, commonly known as beach spinifex, is a perennial grass that grows in sandy regions along the seacoast. It also lives in most deserts around Australia.
Description
It grows as a tussock from 30 centimetres to a metre high, and up to two metres wide. It has long flat leaves, and green or brown flowers.[2]
It is similar in appearance to S. littoreus, but that species has hard, sharp leaves capable of drawing blood, whereas the leaves of S. longifolius are a good deal softer.[3]
Taxonomy
It was first published by Robert Brown in his 1810 Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae.[4]
Distribution and habitat
It occurs on coastal dunes of white sand, in Australia, Indonesia, and Thailand.[1][5] In Australia, it occurs from Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia, north and east to the western edge of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland.[6]
References
- ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
- ^ "Spinifex longifolius R.Br". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ Pike, G. D.; Leach, G. J. (1997). Handbook of the vascular plants of Ashmore and Cartier Islands. Canberra: Parks Australia.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|lastauthoramp=ignored (|name-list-style=suggested) (help) - ^ "Spinifex longifolius R.Br". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
- ^ Clayton, W.D.; Vorontsova, M.S.; Harman, K.T.; Williamson, H. "Spinifex longifolius". GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ CANB specimens of Spinifex longifolius in Australasia
Further reading
- Webster, R. D. (1987). The Australian Paniceae (Poaceae). Berlin: J. Cramer.