AusTraits

Poa annua

Explore the data for this taxon in the portal

Family Poaceae

Taxonomy: Poa annua L.

Synonyms: none listed in the APC 2026-07-30

Distribution (APC): WA (naturalised), NT (naturalised), SA (naturalised), Qld (naturalised), NSW (naturalised), LHI (naturalised), NI (naturalised), ACT (naturalised), Vic (naturalised), Tas (naturalised), HI (naturalised), MI (naturalised)

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

Traits

Top source datasets: ABRS_2022 (4), ABRS_2023 (9), ANBG_2019 (4), Crowley_2007 (1), Doherty_2021 (3), GrassBase_2014 (6), Kubiak_2009 (1), Metcalfe_2020_2 (14), NHNSW_2014 (1), NHNSW_2014_2 (1), NHNSW_2022 (3), NHNSW_2023 (10), NSWFRD_2014 (2), Nano_2011 (1), Osborne_2014 (1), RBGV_2022 (3), RBGV_2023 (6), SAH_2022 (3), SAH_2023 (4), Sjostrom_2006 (4), Standish_2019 (6), WAH_2022_1 (4), WAH_2022_2 (3), WAH_2023_1 (1), WAH_2023_2 (3), Wenk_2022 (2), Wenk_2023 (1). See below for a full list of sources.
Summary: AusTraits contains 35 traits from 101 records in 27 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 (5) [sources: Crowley_2007; Doherty_2021; NSWFRD_2014; Nano_2011; Standish_2019]
flower morphology
  • sex_type (categorical): hermaphrodite (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]
fruit morphology
  • fruit_type (categorical): caryopsis (8) [sources: ABRS_2023; Metcalfe_2020_2; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023; Sjostrom_2006; WAH_2023_1; WAH_2023_2]
  • fruit_fleshiness (categorical): dry (2) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; Sjostrom_2006]
  • fruit_dehiscence (categorical): dehiscent (1); indehiscent (2) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; Sjostrom_2006]
leaf morphology
  • leaf_area (numerical): 130.5 mm2 (130.5-130.5 mm2) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2]
  • leaf_length (numerical): 87.5 mm (5-140 mm) [sources: ABRS_2023; GrassBase_2014; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • leaf_width (numerical): 3.5 mm (1-5 mm) [sources: ABRS_2023; GrassBase_2014; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_shape (categorical): linear (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
  • leaf_base_shape (categorical): sheathing (1) [sources: ABRS_2023]
  • leaf_compoundness (categorical): simple (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2]
  • leaf_lamina_posture (categorical): conduplicate (3); flat (4) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • leaf_phyllotaxis (categorical): alternate (3) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • plant_photosynthetic_organ (categorical): leaf (4) [sources: ABRS_2023; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
life history
  • photosynthetic_pathway (categorical): c3 (2) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; Osborne_2014]
  • plant_growth_form (categorical): graminoid (7); herb (5); tussock (3) [sources: ABRS_2022; Metcalfe_2020_2; NHNSW_2022; NSWFRD_2014; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; Standish_2019; WAH_2022_1; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022]
  • life_form (categorical): therophyte (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2]
  • life_history (categorical): annual (8); perennial (2) [sources: ABRS_2022; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; Standish_2019; WAH_2022_1; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2023]
  • woodiness_detailed (categorical): herbaceous (7) [sources: ABRS_2022; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; WAH_2022_1; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022]
  • stem_growth_habit (categorical): caespitose (2) [sources: ABRS_2022; WAH_2022_1]
  • nitrogen_fixing (categorical): non_nitrogen_fixer (1) [sources: Standish_2019]
  • root_structure (categorical): arbuscular_mycorrhizal (2) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; Standish_2019]
  • pollination_syndrome (categorical): wind (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2]
  • dispersal_syndrome (categorical): anemochory (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2]
  • flowering_time (categorical): nnnnnnnnyyyn (1); nnnnnyyyyyyn (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014; NHNSW_2014_2]
  • seedbank_location (categorical): soil_seedbank (2) [sources: Doherty_2021; Standish_2019]
  • vegetative_reproduction_ability (categorical): not_vegetative (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2]
  • bud_bank_location (categorical): none (1) [sources: Doherty_2021]
seed morphology
  • seed_dry_mass (numerical): 0.3 mg (0.3-0.3 mg) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2]
  • seed_length (numerical): 2.84 mm (2.84-2.84 mm) [sources: ANBG_2019]
  • seed_width (numerical): 0.86 mm (0.86-0.86 mm) [sources: ANBG_2019]
  • seed_shape (categorical): fusiform (1) [sources: ANBG_2019]
whole plant morphology
  • plant_height (numerical): 0.25 m (0.02-0.46 m) [sources: GrassBase_2014; NHNSW_2023; WAH_2023_2]

Sources

dataset_idn_traitsn_recordsreference
Metcalfe_2020_21414D. Metcalfe. “Unpublished data: Traits of Poaceae spp, CSIRO”. 2020.
NHNSW_2023810N. 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/.
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.
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.
RBGV_202366VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
Standish_201966R. Standish. “Unpublished data: Jarrah forest, Murdoch University”. 2019.
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.
ANBG_201944Australian National Botanic Gardens. The National Seed Bank. 2018. url: http://www.anbg.gov.au/gardens/living/seedbank/.
SAH_202344S. 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_144Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2022. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
Doherty_202133M. Doherty. “Fire Severity and Plant Community Dynamics in the Australian Alps, Southeastern New South Wales”. PhD. Australian National University, 2021. url: http://hdl.handle.net/1885/224564.
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/.
RBGV_202233VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.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/.
WAH_2022_233Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2022. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
WAH_2023_223Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2023. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
NSWFRD_201422B. Kenny, C. Orscheg, E. Tasker, M. A. Gill, and R. Bradstock. NSW Flora Fire Response Database, v2.1. database. NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment, 2014.
Wenk_202222E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant growth forms dataset”. 2022.
Crowley_200711G. Crowley, M. Gardener, and M. Marrinan. Tropical savannas fire response database. 2007. url: [www.landmanager.org.au](www.landmanager.org.au).
Kubiak_200911P. J. Kubiak. “Fire responses of bushland plants after the January 1994 wildfires in northern Sydney”. Cunninghamia 11.1 (2009), pp. 131-165.
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/.
Nano_201111C. E. M. Nano and P. J. Clarke. “How do drought and fire influence the patterns of resprouting in Australian deserts?”. Plant Ecology 212 (2011), pp. 2095-2110. doi: 10.1007/s11258-011-9988-x.
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.
WAH_2023_111Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2023. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
Wenk_202311E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant life history dataset, University of New South Wales, Sydney”. 2023.