AusTraits

Distichlis distichophylla

Explore the data for this taxon in the portal

Family Poaceae

Taxonomy: Distichlis distichophylla (Labill.) Fassett

Synonyms: 4 (APC 2026-07-30)
  • Festuca distichophylla (Labill.) Hook.f. (nomenclatural synonym)
  • Poa distichophylla (Labill.) R.Br. (nomenclatural synonym)
  • Poa paradoxa Roem. & Schult. (taxonomic synonym)
  • Uniola distichophylla Labill. (nomenclatural synonym)
Misapplied names: 2 (APC 2026-07-30)
  • Distichlis maritima Raf. (misapplied)
  • Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene (misapplied)

Distribution (APC): WA, SA, NSW, Vic, Tas

Profiles: APC, Flora of Australia, ALA, iNaturalist, NSW Flora, SA eFlora, Vic Flora, Florabase, ATRP

Traits

Top source datasets: ABRS_2022 (5), ABRS_2023 (10), Angevin_2011 (5), Cheal_2017 (5), Draper_2023 (4), GrassBase_2014 (6), Jordan_2001 (7), Kew_2019_1 (1), Kew_2019_3 (3), Mokany_2015 (2), Moore_2019_2 (55), NHNSW_2014 (1), NHNSW_2014_2 (1), NHNSW_2022 (4), NHNSW_2023 (7), Osborne_2014 (1), RBGV_2022 (4), RBGV_2023 (8), SAH_2014 (1), SAH_2022 (4), SAH_2023 (5), Sjostrom_2006 (4), WAH_2022_2 (4), WAH_2023_2 (4), Wenk_2022 (2), Wenk_2023 (1), Wenk_2023_2 (2), White_2020 (19), Williams_2011 (10), eFLOWER_Dun_2022 (4). See below for a full list of sources.
Summary: AusTraits contains 62 traits from 189 records in 30 datasets.

Traits by category (click to expand). For categorical traits, the values are listed. For numerical traits, the mean and range are shown.

fire response
  • resprouting_capacity (categorical): partial_resprouting (15); resprouts (5) [sources: Cheal_2017; Moore_2019_2; White_2020]
flower morphology
  • flower_colour (categorical): blue_purple (1) [sources: eFLOWER_Dun_2022]
  • sex_type (categorical): dioecious (6); hermaphrodite (1); monoecious (1) [sources: ABRS_2022; Draper_2023; Jordan_2001; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; Sjostrom_2006]
fruit morphology
  • fruit_type (categorical): caryopsis (6) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023; Sjostrom_2006; WAH_2023_2]
  • fruit_fleshiness (categorical): dry (2) [sources: Jordan_2001; Sjostrom_2006]
  • fruit_dehiscence (categorical): indehiscent (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]
leaf morphology
  • leaf_area (numerical): 302.41 mm2 (10.46-612.28 mm2) [sources: Angevin_2011; Mokany_2015; Moore_2019_2]
  • leaf_length (numerical): 47.5 mm (10-85 mm) [sources: ABRS_2023; GrassBase_2014; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_width (numerical): 3 mm (1-4 mm) [sources: ABRS_2023; GrassBase_2014; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_dry_mass (numerical): 90.33 mg (78-110 mg) [sources: Moore_2019_2]
  • leaf_mass_per_area (numerical): 225.24 g/m2 (135.5-295.68 g/m2) [sources: Angevin_2011; Moore_2019_2]
  • leaf_dry_matter_content (numerical): 0.45 g/g (0.32-0.57 g/g) [sources: Angevin_2011; Moore_2019_2]
  • leaf_shape (categorical): subulate (1) [sources: SAH_2023]
  • leaf_base_shape (categorical): sheathing (1) [sources: ABRS_2023]
  • leaf_lamina_posture (categorical): convolute (1); flat (1); incurved (1); involute (2) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_phyllotaxis (categorical): alternate (3); opposite (1) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • leaf_arrangement (categorical): distichous (2) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • plant_photosynthetic_organ (categorical): leaf (4) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
life history
  • photosynthetic_pathway (categorical): c4 (5) [sources: Kew_2019_3; Moore_2019_2; Osborne_2014; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • plant_growth_form (categorical): graminoid (6); graminoid_not_tussock (1); herb (6) [sources: ABRS_2022; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • life_form (categorical): hemicryptophyte (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
  • life_history (categorical): perennial (9) [sources: ABRS_2022; Cheal_2017; Jordan_2001; Moore_2019_2; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2023]
  • woodiness_detailed (categorical): herbaceous (6) [sources: ABRS_2022; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022]
  • stem_growth_habit (categorical): decumbent (1); rhizomatous (3) [sources: ABRS_2022; Moore_2019_2; WAH_2022_2]
  • nitrogen_fixing (categorical): non_nitrogen_fixer (2) [sources: White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • root_structure (categorical): arbuscular_mycorrhizal (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
  • parasitic (categorical): not_parasitic (1) [sources: White_2020]
  • pollination_syndrome (categorical): abiotic (1); self (1); wind (1) [sources: Draper_2023; White_2020]
  • pollination_system (categorical): abiotic (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
  • dispersal_syndrome (categorical): barochory (1); epizoochory (1); zoochory (1) [sources: Draper_2023; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • dispersers (categorical): abiotic (1); animals (1); mammals (1) [sources: Draper_2023; White_2020]
  • flowering_time (categorical): nnnnnnnnyyyn (1); yynnnnnnnnny (1); yyyynnnnnyyy (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014; NHNSW_2014_2; White_2020]
  • seedbank_longevity_class (categorical): persistent (1) [sources: White_2020]
  • vegetative_reproduction_ability (categorical): vegetative (1) [sources: White_2020]
  • clonal_spread_mechanism (categorical): rhizome (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
  • storage_organ (categorical): rhizome (5) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023; WAH_2023_2]
  • bud_bank_location (categorical): rhizome (1) [sources: Moore_2019_2]
seed morphology
  • seed_dry_mass (numerical): 1.1 mg (0.45-1.42 mg) [sources: Angevin_2011; Kew_2019_1; Mokany_2015]
  • seed_length (numerical): 5.5 mm (5.5-5.5 mm) [sources: Jordan_2001]
  • seed_width (numerical): 2 mm (2-2 mm) [sources: Jordan_2001]
whole plant morphology

Sources

dataset_idn_traitsn_recordsreference
Moore_2019_21255N. A. Moore, J. S. Camac, and J. W. Morgan. “Effects of drought and fire on resprouting capacity of 52 temperate Australian perennial native grasses”. New Phytologist 221.3 (2018), pp. 1424-1433. doi: 10.1111/nph.15480.
White_20201919M. White, S. Sinclair, and D. Frood. Victorian Vital Attributes Database. database. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria, 2020.
ABRS_2023810Australian Biological Resources Study. Flora of Australia, Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2023. url: http://www.ausflora.org.au.
Williams_20111010R. P. Duncan, S. E. Clemants, R. T. Corlett, A. K. Hahs, M. A. McCarthy, M. J. McDonnell, M. W. Schwartz, K. Thompson, P. A. Vesk, and N. S. G. Williams. “Plant traits and extinction in urban areas: a meta-analysis of 11 cities”. Global Ecology and Biogeography 20.4 (2011), pp. 509-519. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2010.00633.x.
RBGV_202388VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
Jordan_200177G. J. Jordan. “An investigation of long-distance dispersal based on species native to both Tasmania and New Zealand”. Australian Journal of Botany 49.3 (2001), pp. 333-340. doi: 10.1071/bt00024.
NHNSW_202377N. H. of New South Wales. The Plant Information Network System of The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Version 2.0.. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
GrassBase_201436W. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, and K. H. &. H. Williamson. GrassBase - The online world grass flora. 2006. url: http://www.kew.org/data/grasses-db.html.
ABRS_202255Australian Biological Resources Study. Flora of Australia, Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2022. url: http://www.ausflora.org.au.
Angevin_201155T. Angevin. “Species richness and functional trait diversity response to land use in a temperate eucalypt woodland community”. Honours. La Trobe University, 2011.
Cheal_201755D. Cheal. Growth stages and tolerable fire intervals for Victoria's native vegetation data sets. Fire and adaptive management, report no. 84. Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Melbourne, 2010.
SAH_202355S. H. of South Australia. eFlora of SA, Electronic Flora of South Australia. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/.
Draper_202344J. T. Draper, S. Delean, J. G. Conran, P. Weinstein, and B. S. Simpson. “Life-history characteristics and climate correlates of dioecious plant species in central southern Australia”. Australian Journal of Botany unknown.unknown (2023), p. unknown. doi: 10.1071/BT22110.
NHNSW_202244N. H. of New South Wales. The Plant Information Network System of The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Version 2.0.. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
RBGV_202244VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
SAH_202244S. H. of South Australia. eFlora of SA, Electronic Flora of South Australia. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/.
Sjostrom_200644A. Sjöström and C. L. Gross. “Life-history characters and phylogeny are correlated with extinction risk in the Australian angiosperms”. Journal of Biogeography 33.2 (2006), pp. 271-290. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2005.01393.x.
WAH_2022_244Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2022. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
WAH_2023_234Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2023. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
eFLOWER_Dun_202244L. Dun and H. Sauquet. “Unpublished: Floral traits for GAP taxa, University of New South Wales, Australia”. 2022.
Kew_2019_333Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Salt and water tolerance data from the Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
Mokany_201522K. Mokany, J. J. Thomson, A. J. J. Lynch, G. J. Jordan, and S. Ferrier. “Linking changes in community composition and function under climate change”. Ecological Applications 25.8 (2015), pp. 2132-2141. doi: 10.1890/14-2384.1.
Wenk_202222E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant growth forms dataset”. 2022.
Wenk_2023_212E. Wenk and D. Coleman. “Unpublished: Rain and flood-related flowering cues for Australia's flora, University of New South Wales, Australia”. 2023.
Kew_2019_111Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
NHNSW_201411Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. PLantNET. 2014. url: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/search/simple.htm.
NHNSW_2014_211Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. PLantNET: NSW flora online. 2014. url: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
Osborne_201411C. Osborne, A. Salomaa, T. Kluyver, V. Visser, E. Kellogg, O. Morrone, M. Vorontsova, W. Clayton, and D. Simpson. “A global database of C4 photosynthesis in grasses”. New Phytologist 204 (2014), pp. 441-446. doi: 10.1111/nph.12942.
SAH_201411J. P. Jessop and H. R. Toelken. Flora of South Australia, 4th edition, 4 vols. Electronic version curated by J. Kellermann, State Herbarium of South Australia.. Government Printer, Adelaide, 1986.
Wenk_202311E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant life history dataset, University of New South Wales, Sydney”. 2023.