About Dichelachne crinita (L.f.) Hook.f.
Dichelachne crinita (L.f.) Hook.f., commonly called longhair plume grass, is a tufted perennial plant that can grow up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall. Its flowers form roughly oblong or cylindrical panicles that emerge in spring. Longhair plume grass is native to every Australian state, New Guinea, Norfolk Island, the Kermadec Islands, and New Zealand. Its status as native or naturalised on Lord Howe Island remains unclear. It has become naturalised on Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. This species grows on sandy or sandstone-based soils. In the Sydney region, it occurs in communities ranging from grassland to open forest, where it associates with woodland trees including smooth-barked apple (Angophora costata), Sydney peppermint (Eucalyptus piperita), silvertop ash (Eucalyptus sieberi), and red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera). It also grows in scrub alongside coastal banksia (Banksia integrifolia) and broad-leaved apple (Angophora subvelutina), and it is a component of two threatened plant communities: the Endangered Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, and shale/sandstone transition forest. In Victoria, longhair plume grass is common near coastal regions and on volcanic plains. In South Australia, it associates with trees including drooping sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata), pink gum (Eucalyptus fasciculosa), sugar gum (Eucalyptus cladocalyx), and messmate (Eucalyptus obliqua), as well as shrubs including golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha) and peach heath (Lissanthe strigosa).
