Austrodanthonia Caespitosa

This species, known as Rytidosperma caespitosum or synonymously as Austrodanthonia caespitosa, is commonly called Ringed Wallaby-grass, Wallaby Grass, or White Top Wallaby-grass.

It is native to Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, and Tasmania.

This plant is a tall, tufted perennial grass with a height range of 20-90 cm and a dense tussocky base of up to 12 cm in diameter.

The stems are smooth and slender or robust, with 2-4 hairless nodes.

The leaves can reach up to 30 cm in length and are 1-3 mm wide, either flat or loosely rolled, and can be hairy or hairless.

The ligule is a rim with tiny hairs (0.5 mm long) and also has a tuft of longer hairs (1-2 mm long) on the sides. 

Austrodanthonia Caespitosa thrives in clay soils and can also survive in sandy loam or loamy red earths.

This versatile species is found in various communities, but is most prominent in black box and grassland environments.

It is adapted to a wide range of rainfall levels and soil types, with growth rates peaking in late spring/early summer and flowering occurring mainly in autumn.

Its seedling emergence is best when soil surface temperatures reach around 25oC, while significant differences in growth and flowering behavior can be observed among different populations.

These populations appear to be well-adapted to their specific local seasonal conditions, with northern populations experiencing faster growth in the spring due to their more summer-dominant rainfall patterns, while southern populations thrive in the winter-dominant rainfall.

Additionally, this species has demonstrated good frost tolerance.