AusTraits

Microlaena stipoides

Explore the data for this taxon in the portal

Family Poaceae

Taxonomy: Microlaena stipoides (Labill.) R.Br.

Synonyms: 2 (APC 2026-07-30)
  • Ehrharta stipoides Labill. (nomenclatural synonym)
  • Microlaena gunnii Hook.f. (taxonomic synonym)

Distribution (APC): WA, SA, Qld, NSW, LHI, NI, ACT, Vic, Tas

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

Traits

Top source datasets: ABRS_2022 (4), ABRS_2023 (9), Angevin_2011 (6), Barrett_2009 (3), Benwell_2024 (4), Burrows_2008_2 (4), Burrows_2020 (4), Carey_2003 (3), Cross_2009 (4), Draper_2023 (3), GrassBase_2014 (6), Harvey_2017 (6), Hughes_1992 (2), Jordan_2001 (7), Kew_2019_6 (2), Kubiak_2009 (4), Leishman_1993 (1), Leishman_1995 (5), Leishman_2007 (17), Meers_2007 (11), Metcalfe_2020_2 (16), Mokany_2008 (62), Mokany_2015 (2), Moore_2019_2 (55), Munroe_2019 (1), NHNSW_2014_2 (5), NHNSW_2022 (3), NHNSW_2023 (5), OReillyNugent_2018 (5), Osborne_2014 (1), Purdie_1976 (2), SAH_2014 (1), SAH_2022 (3), SAH_2023 (6), Simpson_2021 (3), Sjostrom_2006 (4), Standish_2019 (6), Tsakalos_2020 (18), WAH_2022_2 (4), WAH_2023_2 (4), Wenk_2022 (2), Wenk_2023 (1), Wheeler_2002 (10), White_2020 (20), Williams_2011 (10), eFLOWER_Dun_2022 (7). See below for a full list of sources.
Summary: AusTraits contains 85 traits from 361 records in 46 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): fire_killed (1); partial_resprouting (15); resprouts (15) [sources: Barrett_2009; Benwell_2024; Burrows_2008_2; Burrows_2020; Carey_2003; Harvey_2017; Kubiak_2009; Meers_2007; Moore_2019_2; Purdie_1976; Simpson_2021; Standish_2019; Tsakalos_2020; White_2020]
  • post_fire_recruitment (categorical): post_fire_recruitment (1); post_fire_recruitment_absent (1) [sources: Benwell_2024; Carey_2003]
  • fire_time_from_fire_to_flowering (numerical): 12 mo (12-12 mo) [sources: Burrows_2020]
flower morphology
  • flower_colour (categorical): blue_purple (2); green (2) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; eFLOWER_Dun_2022]
  • sex_type (categorical): hermaphrodite (3); monoecious (1) [sources: Jordan_2001; Metcalfe_2020_2; Sjostrom_2006]
fruit morphology
  • fruit_type (categorical): caryopsis (6) [sources: ABRS_2023; Metcalfe_2020_2; NHNSW_2023; SAH_2023; Sjostrom_2006; WAH_2023_2]
  • fruit_fleshiness (categorical): dry (4) [sources: Jordan_2001; Metcalfe_2020_2; Sjostrom_2006; Tsakalos_2020]
  • fruit_dehiscence (categorical): dehiscent (1); indehiscent (2) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; Sjostrom_2006]
leaf morphology
  • leaf_area (numerical): 543.76 mm2 (94.8-1097.05 mm2) [sources: Angevin_2011; Meers_2007; Metcalfe_2020_2; Mokany_2008; Mokany_2015; Moore_2019_2]
  • leaf_length (numerical): 94.4 mm (20-250 mm) [sources: Mokany_2008; ABRS_2023; GrassBase_2014; SAH_2023; Wheeler_2002]
  • leaf_width (numerical): 5.24 mm (1-10 mm) [sources: Mokany_2008; ABRS_2023; GrassBase_2014; Metcalfe_2020_2; Wheeler_2002]
  • leaf_dry_mass (numerical): 64.42 mg (5.4-149 mg) [sources: Mokany_2008; Moore_2019_2]
  • leaf_mass_per_area (numerical): 62.39 g/m2 (25.91-139.28 g/m2) [sources: Angevin_2011; Cross_2009; Leishman_1995; Leishman_2007; Meers_2007; Mokany_2008; Moore_2019_2; OReillyNugent_2018]
  • leaf_mass_fraction (numerical): 0.12 g/g (0.08-0.16 g/g) [sources: Mokany_2008]
  • leaf_dry_matter_content (numerical): 0.35 g/g (0.31-0.4 g/g) [sources: Angevin_2011; Mokany_2008; Moore_2019_2]
  • leaf_shape (categorical): linear (1) [sources: Wheeler_2002]
  • leaf_margin (categorical): entire (2) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; Tsakalos_2020]
  • leaf_lobation (categorical): unlobed (1) [sources: Wheeler_2002]
  • leaf_compoundness (categorical): simple (4) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; NHNSW_2014_2; Tsakalos_2020; Wheeler_2002]
  • leaf_lamina_posture (categorical): conduplicate (1); flat (3); involute (1) [sources: ABRS_2023; SAH_2023; Tsakalos_2020]
  • leaf_glaucousness (categorical): not_glaucous (2) [sources: Tsakalos_2020]
  • leaf_hairs_adult_leaves (categorical): hairy (1) [sources: Tsakalos_2020]
  • leaf_phyllotaxis (categorical): alternate (2) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023]
  • plant_photosynthetic_organ (categorical): leaf (4) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; SAH_2023; Tsakalos_2020]
life history
  • photosynthetic_pathway (categorical): c3 (6); c4 (1) [sources: Mokany_2008; Moore_2019_2; Munroe_2019; Osborne_2014; Tsakalos_2020; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • plant_growth_form (categorical): graminoid (12); graminoid_not_tussock (1); herb (5); tussock (2) [sources: ABRS_2022; Angevin_2011; Barrett_2009; Hughes_1992; Leishman_1995; Leishman_2007; Metcalfe_2020_2; NHNSW_2022; SAH_2022; Standish_2019; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022; Wheeler_2002; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • life_form (categorical): hemicryptophyte (4) [sources: Meers_2007; Metcalfe_2020_2; Mokany_2008; Williams_2011]
  • life_history (categorical): perennial (14) [sources: ABRS_2022; Burrows_2008_2; Burrows_2020; Cross_2009; Jordan_2001; Moore_2019_2; NHNSW_2022; SAH_2022; Simpson_2021; Standish_2019; Tsakalos_2020; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2023; Wheeler_2002]
  • woodiness_detailed (categorical): herbaceous (6) [sources: ABRS_2022; NHNSW_2022; SAH_2022; Tsakalos_2020; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022]
  • stem_growth_habit (categorical): decumbent (2); erect (2); rhizomatous (3); tufted (1) [sources: ABRS_2022; Moore_2019_2; Tsakalos_2020; WAH_2022_2]
  • nitrogen_fixing (categorical): non_nitrogen_fixer (5) [sources: Meers_2007; Mokany_2008; Standish_2019; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • root_structure (categorical): arbuscular_mycorrhizal (4); non_mycorrhizal (1) [sources: Meers_2007; Metcalfe_2020_2; Standish_2019; Tsakalos_2020; Williams_2011]
  • parasitic (categorical): not_parasitic (2) [sources: Tsakalos_2020; White_2020]
  • pollination_syndrome (categorical): abiotic (1); self (1); wind (2) [sources: Draper_2023; Metcalfe_2020_2; White_2020]
  • pollination_system (categorical): abiotic (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
  • dispersal_syndrome (categorical): anemochory (1); barochory (2); epizoochory (3); undefined (1) [sources: Angevin_2011; Draper_2023; Leishman_1995; Meers_2007; Metcalfe_2020_2; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • dispersers (categorical): mammals (1); passive (1) [sources: Draper_2023; White_2020]
  • flowering_time (categorical): nnnnnnnnnnnn (1); nnnnyyyyyynn (1); yynnnnnnnnny (1); yyynnnnnnyyy (1) [sources: Hughes_1992; NHNSW_2014_2; Tsakalos_2020; White_2020]
  • seedbank_location (categorical): canopy_seedbank_absent (1); none (1); soil_seedbank (2) [sources: Benwell_2024; Harvey_2017; Standish_2019]
  • serotiny (categorical): not_serotinous (1) [sources: Harvey_2017]
  • seedbank_longevity_class (categorical): persistent (1) [sources: White_2020]
  • vegetative_reproduction_ability (categorical): not_vegetative (1); vegetative (3) [sources: Meers_2007; Metcalfe_2020_2; NHNSW_2014_2; White_2020]
  • clonal_spread_mechanism (categorical): belowground_clonal (1); rhizome (2) [sources: Meers_2007; Metcalfe_2020_2; Williams_2011]
  • storage_organ (categorical): rhizome (4) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; SAH_2023; WAH_2023_2]
  • bud_bank_location (categorical): basal_buds (2); bud-bearing_root (2); rhizome (2) [sources: Barrett_2009; Burrows_2008_2; Burrows_2020; Carey_2003; Moore_2019_2; Simpson_2021]
nutrient and stable isotope
seed morphology
  • seed_dry_mass (numerical): 5.5 mg (3.86-6.4 mg) [sources: Angevin_2011; Cross_2009; Leishman_1993; Leishman_1995; Meers_2007; Metcalfe_2020_2]
  • seed_length (numerical): 11 mm (11-11 mm) [sources: Jordan_2001]
  • seed_width (numerical): 2 mm (2-2 mm) [sources: Jordan_2001]
whole plant morphology
  • plant_height (numerical): 0.66 m (0.3-1 m) [sources: GrassBase_2014; Leishman_1995; Mokany_2015; NHNSW_2023; SAH_2014; WAH_2023_2; Wheeler_2002]
  • plant_physical_defence_structures (categorical): absent (2) [sources: Tsakalos_2020; White_2020]

Sources

dataset_idn_traitsn_recordsreference
Mokany_20081862K. Mokany and J. Ash. “Are traits measured on pot grown plants representative of those in natural communities?”. Journal of Vegetation Science 19 (2008), pp. 119-126. doi: 10.3170/2007-8-18340.
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_20202020M. White, S. Sinclair, and D. Frood. Victorian Vital Attributes Database. database. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria, 2020.
Tsakalos_20201718J. L. Tsakalos, M. Renton, F. Riviera, E. J. Veneklaas, M. P. Dobrowolski, and L. Mucina. “Trait-based formal definition of plant functional types and functional communities in the multi-species and multi-traits context”. Ecological Complexity 40 (2019), p. 100787. doi: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2019.100787.
Leishman_2007817M. R. Leishman, T. Haslehurst, A. Ares, and Z. Baruch. “Leaf trait relationships of native and invasive plants: community- and global-scale comparisons”. New Phytologist 176.3 (2007), pp. 635-643. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.02189.x.
Metcalfe_2020_21616D. Metcalfe. “Unpublished data: Traits of Poaceae spp, CSIRO”. 2020.
Meers_20071111T. Meers. “Role of plant functional traits in determining the response of vegetation to land use change on the Delatite Peninsula, Victoria.”. PhD. University of Melbourne, 2007.
Wheeler_2002810J. R. Wheeler, N. G. Marchant, and M. Lewington. Flora of the south west: Bunbury, Augusta, Denmark. Australian Biological Resources Study ; University of Western Australia Press, 2002. ISBN: 9780642568168.
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.
ABRS_202379Australian Biological Resources Study. Flora of Australia, Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2023. url: http://www.ausflora.org.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.
eFLOWER_Dun_202267L. Dun and H. Sauquet. “Unpublished: Floral traits for GAP taxa, University of New South Wales, Australia”. 2022.
Angevin_201166T. Angevin. “Species richness and functional trait diversity response to land use in a temperate eucalypt woodland community”. Honours. La Trobe University, 2011.
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.
Harvey_201766J. M. Harvey, A. J. M. Hopkins, M. A. Langley, C. R. Gosper, M. R. Williams, and C. J. Yates. “Long-term studies of post-fire reproduction in an Australian shrubland and woodland”. Australian Journal of Botany 65.4 (2017), p. 339. doi: 10.1071/bt17011.
SAH_202356S. 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/.
Standish_201966R. Standish. “Unpublished data: Jarrah forest, Murdoch University”. 2019.
Leishman_199555M. R. Leishman, M. Westoby, and E. Jurado. “Correlates of seed size variation: A comparison among five temperate floras”. Journal of Ecology 83 (1995), pp. 517-529. doi: 10.2307/2261604.
NHNSW_2014_255Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. PLantNET: NSW flora online. 2014. url: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
NHNSW_202355N. 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/.
OReillyNugent_201825A. O'Reilly-Nugent, E. Wandrag, C. Catford, B. Gruber, D. Driscoll, and R. Duncan. “Measuring competitive impact: Joint-species modelling of invaded plant communities”. Journal of Ecology 108 (2018), pp. 449-459.
ABRS_202244Australian Biological Resources Study. Flora of Australia, Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2022. url: http://www.ausflora.org.au.
Benwell_202444A. Benwell. “Fire responses of flora in a sclerophyll-rainforest vegetation complex in the Nightcap Range, North Coast, New South Wales”. Australian Journal of Botany 72.1 (2024). Ed. by D. Williams. ISSN: 1444-9862. doi: 10.1071/bt23049.
Burrows_2008_244N. D. Burrows, G. Wardell-Johnson, and B. Ward. “Post-fire juvenile period of plants in south-west Australia forests and implications for fire management”. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 91 (2008), pp. 163-174. ISSN: 0035922X. url: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/19156 (visited on 03/27/2025).
Burrows_202044N. Burrows. Data from 'Plant Ecological Attributes' theme, NatureMap, DBCA, WA. 2020.
Cross_200944E. Cross. “The characteristics of natives and invaders: A trait-based investigation into the theory of limiting similarity.”. Honours. La Trobe University, 2009.
Kubiak_200934P. J. Kubiak. “Fire responses of bushland plants after the January 1994 wildfires in northern Sydney”. Cunninghamia 11.1 (2009), pp. 131-165.
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/.
Barrett_200933S. Barrett, S. Comer, N. McQuoid, M. Porter, C. Tiller, and D. Utber. Identification and Conservation of Fire Sensitive Ecosystems and Species of the South Coast Natural Resource Management Region.. government. Department of Conservation and Land Management, South Coast Region, Western Australia, 2009.
Carey_200333A. C. &. M. E. &. P. H. &. M. L. &. T. M. &. P. O. &. S. S. &. D. S. &. N. Webb. Wildfires in the ACT 2003: Report on Initial Impacts on Natural Ecosystems. Technical Report No. 17. Environment ACT, 2003. url: https://www.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/2539593/17-wildfires-in-the-act-report-on-initial-impacts-on-natural-ecosystems-2003.pdf.
Draper_202333J. 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_202233N. 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/.
SAH_202233S. 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/.
Simpson_202133K. J. Simpson, E. C. Jardine, S. Archibald, E. J. Forrestel, C. E. R. Lehmann, G. H. Thomas, and C. P. Osborne. “Resprouting grasses are associated with less frequent fire than seeders”. New Phytologist 230 (2021), pp. 832-844. doi: 10.1111/nph.17069.
Hughes_199222L. Hughes and B. Rice. “Unpublished data: Traits data for 643 species, Macquarie University”. 1992.
Kew_2019_612Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Germination 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.
Purdie_197622R. W. Purdie and R. O. Slatyer. “Vegetation succession after fire in sclerophyll woodland communities in south-eastern Australia”. Australian Journal of Ecology 1 (1976), pp. 223-236.
Wenk_202222E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant growth forms dataset”. 2022.
Leishman_199311M. Leishman. “Unpublished data: Seed mass data for Sydney species, Macquarie University”. 1990.
Munroe_201911S. E. M. Munroe, F. A. McInerney, J. Andrae, N. Welti, G. R. Guerin, E. Leitch, T. Hall, S. Szarvas, R. Atkins, S. Caddy-Retalic, and B. Sparrow. “The Photosynthetic Pathways of Plant Species Surveyed in Australia's National Terrestrial Monitoring Network”. Scientific Data 8 (2021), p. 97. doi: 10.1038/s41597-021-00877-z.
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.