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Grasses of Table Mountain & the Cape Peninsula

A quick guide to grasses found on the Table and Cape Peninsula.

Grass species are notoriously under-reported - especially in the Fynbos-rich southwest. This is an attempt to get to grips with grasses on the Cape Peninsula.

Looking for grass species, indigenous grasses, alien ...more ↓

Miscanthus ecklonii ¹

Pentaschistis aristidoides

Pentameris aurea

Pentameris capensis

Pentameris pallescens

Pale Fiveawn
Pentameris pallida

Urochloa chusqueoides

Tragus koelerioides ²

Thinopyrum distichum ¹

Kangaroo Grass ³
Themeda triandra

Cladoraphis cyperoides ¹

Hemarthria altissima

Tribolium acutiflorum

Tribolium echinatum ⁴

Tribolium hispidum ⁵

Tribolium obliterum

Tribolium obtusifolium

Hare Grass ⁶
Tribolium uniolae

Bambusa balcooa

Fern-grass
Catapodium rigidum

Acroceras macrum

Kleingrass ⁷
Panicum coloratum

Panicum coloratum coloratum ⁸

Guineagrass ⁹
Panicum maximum

Torpedo grass ¹⁰
Panicum repens

Transvaal Millet
Panicum schinzii

Panicum subalbidum

Coast Sandbur ¹¹
Cenchrus spinifex

Maize ¹²
Zea mays

Andropogon eucomus ¹³

Stipagrostis anomala

Stipagrostis zeyheri

Stipagrostis zeyheri zeyheri ¹⁴

bristly dogtail grass ¹⁵
Cynosurus echinatus

Periballia minuta

Knot Root Bristle Grass ¹⁶
Setaria geniculata

Setaria megaphylla ¹⁷

Setaria sphacelata ¹⁵

Setaria sphacelata sphacelata

hooked bristle grass ¹⁸
Setaria verticillata

Green Bristle Grass ¹⁹
Setaria viridis

pacific bent grass ²⁰
Agrostis avenacea

Agrostis bergiana

Agrostis bergiana bergiana

African Bent
Agrostis lachnantha

Agrostis lachnantha lachnantha

Agrostis polypogonoides

Aira cupaniana

Annual Meadow-grass ²¹
Poa annua

Smooth Meadow-grass ²²
Poa pratensis

Koeleria capensis ²³

mediterranean beard grass ²⁴
Polypogon maritimus

rabbitfoot grass ²⁵
Polypogon monspeliensis

Polypogon strictus ²⁶

water beard grass ²⁷
Polypogon viridis

European marram grass ²⁸
Ammophila arenaria

Anthoxanthum dregeanum

sweet vernal grass ²⁹
Anthoxanthum odoratum

Anthoxanthum tongo ³⁰

Rescue Brome ²⁹
Bromus catharticus

great brome ²²
Bromus diandrus

Common Soft-brome ²²
Bromus hordeaceus

soft brome
Bromus hordeaceus molliformis

Bromus leptoclados

Bromus pectinatus ¹

Hordeum capense

wall barley ³¹
Hordeum murinum

wall barley (ssp. murinum)
Hordeum murinum murinum

Barley ³²
Hordeum vulgare

Durum Wheat ³³
Triticum durum

rye ²²
Secale cereale

Digitaria abyssinica

Digitaria debilis

Digitaria diversinervis

Digitaria eriantha ³⁴

Digitaria eriantha pentzii

Hairy Crabgrass ³⁵
Digitaria sanguinalis

Parramatta Grass ³⁶
Sporobolus africanus

Seashore Dropseed ¹⁵
Sporobolus virginicus

slender wild oat ³⁷
Avena barbata

wild oat ³⁸
Avena fatua

Oat ³⁹
Avena sativa

animated oat ⁴⁰
Avena sterilis

Winter Wild-oat
Avena sterilis ludoviciana

Animated Oat
Avena sterilis sterilis

Purple Pampas Grass ⁴¹
Cortaderia jubata

Pampas Grass ⁴²
Cortaderia selloana

cock's-foot ⁴³
Dactylis glomerata

Yorkshire fog ⁴⁴
Holcus lanatus

Holcus setiger

Italian Ryegrass ¹⁵
Lolium multiflorum

Perennial Ryegrass ⁴⁰
Lolium perenne

Mediterraean Rye-grass ¹⁵
Lolium rigidum

Darnel
Lolium temulentum

Melica racemosa ⁴⁵

Nassella Tussock ⁴⁶
Nassella trichotoma

Brome Fescue ⁴⁷
Festuca bromoides

Dune Fescue ⁴⁸
Festuca fasciculata

Rat's-tail Fescue ⁴⁴
Festuca myuros

Cymbopogon marginatus ¹

Edited by Tony Rebelo, leandra-k_89, and Lee, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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Grasses of Table Mountain & the Cape Peninsula

Pale Fiveawn Pentameris pallida

Kangaroo Grass 3 Themeda triandra

Hare Grass 6 Tribolium uniolae

Fern-grass Catapodium rigidum

Kleingrass 7 Panicum coloratum

Guineagrass 9 Panicum maximum

Torpedo grass 10 Panicum repens

Transvaal Millet Panicum schinzii

Coast Sandbur 11 Cenchrus spinifex

Maize 12 Zea mays

bristly dogtail grass 15 Cynosurus echinatus

Knot Root Bristle Grass 16 Setaria geniculata

hooked bristle grass 18 Setaria verticillata

Green Bristle Grass 19 Setaria viridis

pacific bent grass 20 Agrostis avenacea

African Bent Agrostis lachnantha

Annual Meadow-grass 21 Poa annua

Smooth Meadow-grass 22 Poa pratensis

mediterranean beard grass 24 Polypogon maritimus

rabbitfoot grass 25 Polypogon monspeliensis

water beard grass 27 Polypogon viridis

European marram grass 28 Ammophila arenaria

sweet vernal grass 29 Anthoxanthum odoratum

Rescue Brome 29 Bromus catharticus

great brome 22 Bromus diandrus

Common Soft-brome 22 Bromus hordeaceus

soft brome Bromus hordeaceus molliformis

wall barley 31 Hordeum murinum

wall barley (ssp. murinum) Hordeum murinum murinum

Barley 32 Hordeum vulgare

Durum Wheat 33 Triticum durum

rye 22 Secale cereale

Hairy Crabgrass 35 Digitaria sanguinalis

Parramatta Grass 36 Sporobolus africanus

Seashore Dropseed 15 Sporobolus virginicus

slender wild oat 37 Avena barbata

wild oat 38 Avena fatua

Oat 39 Avena sativa

animated oat 40 Avena sterilis

Winter Wild-oat Avena sterilis ludoviciana

Animated Oat Avena sterilis sterilis

Purple Pampas Grass 41 Cortaderia jubata

Pampas Grass 42 Cortaderia selloana

cock's-foot 43 Dactylis glomerata

Yorkshire fog 44 Holcus lanatus

Italian Ryegrass 15 Lolium multiflorum

Perennial Ryegrass 40 Lolium perenne

Mediterraean Rye-grass 15 Lolium rigidum

Darnel Lolium temulentum

Nassella Tussock 46 Nassella trichotoma

Brome Fescue 47 Festuca bromoides

Dune Fescue 48 Festuca fasciculata

Rat's-tail Fescue 44 Festuca myuros