| Cymbopogon refractus | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Panicoideae |
| Genus: | Cymbopogon |
| Species: | C. refractus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cymbopogon refractus (R.Br.) Camus | |
| Synonyms | |
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Cymbopogon refractus, commonly known as barbed wire grass, is a species of perennial grass in the genus Cymbopogon of the family Poaceae. It is native to Australia.
Description
Cymbopogon refractus is a tufted perennial bunchgrass, without stolons or rhizomes. The culms, or stems of the grass are to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in height and branching at the nodes. The nodes are purplish and hairless.
The leaves of the plant are basal and on the stems. The leaf is hairless and when crushed gives off a lemon-ginger scent like other grasses in the genus Cymbopogon.
The inflorescence of the plant, or the collections of flowers, are arranged on a 10–45 cm (3.9–17.7 in) long stem with clusters of short, nearly hairless branches which bend downwards when mature, giving the inflorescence a barbed-wire appearance. The spikelets are paired, one stalked the other unstalked. Flowering mostly spring to autumn.
Taxonomy
Cymbopogon refractus was first described by R. Brown in 1810 as Andropogon refractus, but in 1921 was placed in the genus Cymbopogon by Camus.
Habitat and ecology
Cymbopogon refractus is widespread on poor soils of roadsides, native pastures, woodlands and forests of Queensland, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, and Victoria. It is very drought tolerant but readily frosted.
References
- ^ "Cymbopogon refractus". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
- ^ Fairley, Alan; Moore, Philip (2010). Native Plants of the Sydney District: From Newcastle to Nowra and west to the Dividing Range (3rd ed.). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. p. 520. ISBN 978-1-74175-571-8. OCLC 640122817.
- ^ Rose, Harry; Rose, Carol (2012). Grasses of Coastal NSW. Paterson NSW: Department of Primary Industries. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-74256-260-5. OCLC 954615661.
- ^ "Andropogon refractus". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
- "Cymbopogon refractus". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
External links
- "Cymbopogon refractus (R.Br.) A.Camus — Barbed-Wire Grass". Atlas of Living Australia.