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Sporobolus caroli - Mez.

Fairy Grass

Author	Mez.	Botanical references	285
Family	Gramineae	Genus	Sporobolus
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria.
Habitat	Floodplains in clay soils[285].
Edibility Rating	1 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.4m.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed.

Seed - raw or cooked. It can be ground into a flour[177]. The seed is small but it falls easily from the husk[144].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in any well drained soil in a sunny position[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer if they have grown sufficiently. Otherwise, grow them on in a greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in late spring of the following year. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Links

References

[144] Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976 ISBN 0-00-634436-4
A very good pocket guide.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[285] Florabase 0
An excellent on-line dataase of Western Australian plants

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Sporobolus caroli

Janet Wild Mon Nov 14 2005

A photograph on your page or a link to a website with a photograph would be useful

Sporobolus caroli

Heather Smith Fri Sep 29 2006

Fairy Grass is a dangerous weed plant in Australia. One to be eliminated. It is an introduced species to the Australian Continent.I do not think it would make for a healthier world in Oz.

Sporobolus caroli

Ken Fern Fri Sep 29 2006

This plant is listed as a native plant of Australia in a number of Australian floras and other environmental reports. We have no information on this plant being a weed. If anyone has information about any weed characteristics, or the plant not being native to Australia, please could they let Plants for a Future know by using the comments box on this page.

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