Red Natal Grass

Description:

Red natal grass is generally a short-lived perennial grass (but sometimes annual) forming open tussocks with upright flowering stems that can grow up to 1.2 metres tall. Its open seed-heads are usually a distinctive reddish colour when young, but turn pink and then whitish in colour as they mature (last 3 photos). Its numerous flower spikelets are covered in silky hairs that give the seed-heads a fluffy appearance. The species is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and it's a pest because it displaces native vegetation and prevents the natural succession of native species. Despite this, however, it is widely naturalised in this country. This spotting was made during a cool winter, but the location had a sunny, north to northeast-facing aspect, and the grass covered several exposed sections of hillside that were mostly devoid of large trees, although areas closer to the water were well-shaded. The colour shifted constantly with the light, but it always maintained an element of softness, and the wind added another dimension by creating ripples and waves across the seed-heads. PS: Red natal grass is similar to molasses grass (Melinis minutiflora), also to be found at Enoggera Reservoir. https://weeds.brisbane.qld.gov.au/weeds/... That would be my second ID choice.

Habitat:

Spotted along the Reservoir Track at Enoggera Reservoir, in Brisbane Forest Park. Dense, native bushland vegetation, but sunny aspect along the track when closer to the water. A very common weed of roadsides, railways, parks, gardens, footpaths, disturbed sites, waste areas, pastures and crops in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Also present in temperate, semi-arid and arid areas.

Notes:

I try to keep my spottings as current as possible and post within a few days of my hikes or outings, usually whilst details are still fresh in my mind. However, this spotting was made over 3 years ago. I don't recall why I didn't post it at the time, but it was pushed aside for whatever reason, and it's only that a friend asked me to help ID a species of grass on their property (which turned out to be Melinis repens) that I remembered my previous spotting at Enoggera Reservoir. There were recollections of a magnificent red scene that instantly materialised before me and took me quite by surprise. I had hiked around there many times before but had never seen it looking so glorious, despite the grass being a weed. I have enjoyed revisiting the area via my photos, but another hike out that way is long overdue.