Spinifex sericeus

Explore the data for this taxon in the portal

Family Poaceae

Taxonomy: Spinifex sericeus R.Br.

Misapplied names: 1 (APC 2026-07-30)

Spinifex hirsutus Labill. (misapplied)

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

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

Traits

Top source datasets: Cheal_2017 (5), Hughes_1992 (4), Jordan_2001 (7), Kew_2019_1 (1), Metcalfe_2020_2 (20), Mokany_2015 (2), Moore_2019_2 (55), NHNSW_2014_2 (1), NHNSW_2022 (5), NHNSW_2023 (8), RBGV_2022 (5), RBGV_2023 (8), SAH_2022 (3), SAH_2023 (3), Sjostrom_2006 (4), WAH_2022_1 (4), WAH_2022_2 (4), WAH_2023_1 (1), WAH_2023_2 (4), Wenk_2022 (2), Wenk_2023 (1), White_2020 (20), Williams_2011 (10), Yang_2023 (1). See below for a full list of sources.
Summary: AusTraits contains 59 traits from 178 records in 24 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 (4); partial_resprouting (15); resprouts (2) [sources: Cheal_2017; Moore_2019_2; White_2020; Yang_2023]

flower morphology

sex_type (categorical): dioecious (5) [sources: Jordan_2001; Metcalfe_2020_2; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; Sjostrom_2006]

fruit morphology

fruit_length (numerical): 5.5 mm (5.5-5.5 mm) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
fruit_width (numerical): 2.75 mm (2.75-2.75 mm) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
fruit_type (categorical): caryopsis (7) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023; Sjostrom_2006; WAH_2023_1; WAH_2023_2]
fruit_fleshiness (categorical): dry (3) [sources: Jordan_2001; Metcalfe_2020_2; Sjostrom_2006]
fruit_dehiscence (categorical): dehiscent (1); indehiscent (2) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; Sjostrom_2006]
fruit_colour (categorical): brown (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]

leaf morphology

leaf_area (numerical): 1787.25 mm2 (818.65-3399.08 mm2) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; Mokany_2015; Moore_2019_2]
leaf_length (numerical): 262.5 mm (100-400 mm) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; RBGV_2023]
leaf_width (numerical): 8.75 mm (4-17 mm) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; RBGV_2023]
leaf_dry_mass (numerical): 1358.67 mg (952-1675 mg) [sources: Moore_2019_2]
leaf_mass_per_area (numerical): 539.89 g/m2 (425.53-653.59 g/m2) [sources: Moore_2019_2]
leaf_dry_matter_content (numerical): 0.32 g/g (0.31-0.34 g/g) [sources: Moore_2019_2]
leaf_shape (categorical): lanceolate (1); linear (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023; SAH_2023]
leaf_compoundness (categorical): simple (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2]
leaf_lamina_posture (categorical): flat (2); involute (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
leaf_phyllotaxis (categorical): alternate (2) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
plant_photosynthetic_organ (categorical): leaf (3) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]

life history

photosynthetic_pathway (categorical): c4 (4) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; Moore_2019_2; White_2020; Williams_2011]
plant_growth_form (categorical): graminoid (6); graminoid_not_tussock (1); herb (5); tussock (3) [sources: Hughes_1992; Metcalfe_2020_2; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; WAH_2022_1; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022; White_2020; Williams_2011]
life_form (categorical): hemicryptophyte (2) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; Williams_2011]
life_history (categorical): perennial (9) [sources: Cheal_2017; Jordan_2001; Moore_2019_2; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; WAH_2022_1; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2023]
woodiness_detailed (categorical): herbaceous (6) [sources: NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; WAH_2022_1; WAH_2022_2; Wenk_2022]
stem_growth_habit (categorical): caespitose (1); creeping (1); rhizomatous (1); stoloniferous (3) [sources: Moore_2019_2; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; WAH_2022_1; WAH_2022_2]
nitrogen_fixing (categorical): non_nitrogen_fixer (2) [sources: White_2020; Williams_2011]
root_structure (categorical): arbuscular_mycorrhizal (1); non_mycorrhizal (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; Williams_2011]
parasitic (categorical): not_parasitic (1) [sources: White_2020]
pollination_syndrome (categorical): abiotic (1); wind (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; White_2020]
pollination_system (categorical): abiotic (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
dispersal_syndrome (categorical): anemochory (4) [sources: Hughes_1992; Metcalfe_2020_2; White_2020; Williams_2011]
dispersers (categorical): wind (1) [sources: White_2020]
flowering_time (categorical): yynnnnnnnnny (1); yynnnnnnyyyy (1); yyynnnnnnyyy (1) [sources: Hughes_1992; NHNSW_2014_2; White_2020]
seedbank_longevity_class (categorical): persistent (1) [sources: White_2020]
vegetative_reproduction_ability (categorical): vegetative (2) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; White_2020]
clonal_spread_mechanism (categorical): aboveground_clonal (1); belowground_clonal (1); stolon (1) [sources: Metcalfe_2020_2; Williams_2011]
storage_organ (categorical): rhizome (1) [sources: WAH_2023_2]
bud_bank_location (categorical): stolon (1) [sources: Moore_2019_2]

seed morphology

seed_dry_mass (numerical): 13.85 mg (13.85-13.85 mg) [sources: Kew_2019_1]
seed_length (numerical): 200 mm (200-200 mm) [sources: Jordan_2001]
seed_width (numerical): 100 mm (100-100 mm) [sources: Jordan_2001]

whole plant morphology

plant_height (numerical): 0.71 m (0.3-1 m) [sources: Hughes_1992; Metcalfe_2020_2; Mokany_2015; WAH_2023_2]
plant_physical_defence_structures (categorical): absent (1) [sources: White_2020]

Sources

dataset_id	n_traits	n_records	reference
Moore_2019_2	12	55	N. 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.
Metcalfe_2020_2	18	20	D. Metcalfe. “Unpublished data: Traits of Poaceae spp, CSIRO”. 2020.
White_2020	20	20	M. White, S. Sinclair, and D. Frood. Victorian Vital Attributes Database. database. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria, 2020.
Williams_2011	10	10	R. 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.
NHNSW_2023	8	8	N. 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/.
RBGV_2023	6	8	VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
Jordan_2001	7	7	G. 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.
Cheal_2017	5	5	D. 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.
NHNSW_2022	5	5	N. 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_2022	5	5	VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
Hughes_1992	4	4	L. Hughes and B. Rice. “Unpublished data: Traits data for 643 species, Macquarie University”. 1992.
Sjostrom_2006	4	4	A. 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_1	4	4	Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2022. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
WAH_2022_2	4	4	Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2022. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
WAH_2023_2	3	4	Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2023. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
SAH_2022	3	3	S. 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/.
SAH_2023	3	3	S. 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/.
Mokany_2015	2	2	K. 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_2022	2	2	E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant growth forms dataset”. 2022.
Kew_2019_1	1	1	Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
NHNSW_2014_2	1	1	Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. PLantNET: NSW flora online. 2014. url: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
WAH_2023_1	1	1	Western Australian Herbarium. Florabase—the Western Australian Flora.. accessed on 14 September, 2022.. 2023. url: https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/.
Wenk_2023	1	1	E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant life history dataset, University of New South Wales, Sydney”. 2023.
Yang_2023	1	1	S. Yang. “Unpublished data: Fire response traits scored from national and state floras and the taxonomic literature, University of New South Wales”. 2023.