Astrebla
Genus of grasses
title: "Astrebla" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["chloridoideae", "bunchgrasses-of-australasia", "poales-of-australia", "forages", "poaceae-genera"] description: "Genus of grasses" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrebla" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Genus of grasses ::
|name = Mitchell grass |image = Astrebla pectinata.jpg |image_caption = Astrebla pectinata |display_parents = 3 |taxon = Astrebla |authority = F.Muell. |type_species = Astrebla pectinata |type_species_authority = (Lindl.) F.Muell. ex Benth.
Astrebla is a small genus of xerophytic (adapted to survive in an environment with little liquid water) grasses found only in Australia. They are the dominant grass across much of the continent. They are commonly known as Mitchell grass after Scottish explorer Thomas Mitchell (1792-1855), who first collected a specimen near Bourke in New South Wales.
Mitchell grasses grow on clay soils, mainly between an upper limit of 600 mm and a lower limit of 200 mm average annual rainfall, and at even lower rainfall in depressions where the water concentrates following rains, for example in Sturt's Stony Desert. Mitchell grasses are deep-rooted and become dormant during drought, allowing them to survive extended periods without rainfall.
They are commonly found clumped together and reaching one metre high, providing habitat for organisms such as mammals.
; Species ::data[format=table title=""]
| Scientific name | Common name | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Astrebla elymoides | hoop Mitchell grass | the second most common species |
| Astrebla lappacea | curly Mitchell grass | the most common species |
| Astrebla pectinata | barley Mitchell grass | the most drought-tolerant species |
| Astrebla squarrosa | bull Mitchell grass | the most flood-tolerant species |
| :: |
References
References
- [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11266008#page/613/mode/1up Mueller, Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von 1878. Flora australiensis:a description of the plants of the Australian territory /by George Bentham, assisted by Ferdinand Mueller. 7: 602-603] in English
- Watson, L. and M. J. Dallwitz.. (2008). "''Astrebla''.". The Grass Genera of the World.
- [http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:apni.taxon:352404# Atlas of Living Australia, ''Astrebla'' F.Muell. ex Benth., Mitchell Grass]
- [http://futurebeef.com.au/ FutureBeef Program for Northern Australia ]
- "Tropical Forages".
- (2015). "Complete Guide to Finding the Mammals of Australia.". CSIRO Publishing.
- [http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=396879 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]
- [http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=Astrebla The Plant List search for ''Astrebla'']
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