About Hyparrhenia hirta (L.) Stapf
Hyparrhenia hirta is a grass species with the common names common thatching grass and Coolatai grass. It is native to most of Africa and Eurasia, and is an introduced species on other continents. In eastern Australia, it is a persistent noxious weed. In its native range of South Africa, it is very common and counts among the most widely used thatching grasses. It is also used for grazing livestock and weaving mats and baskets. This is a perennial grass that forms clumps 30 centimeters to one meter tall. Tough, dense clumps grow from rhizomes. The inflorescence at the top of the wiry stem is a panicle made up of hairy spikelets, with bent awns that can reach up to 3.5 centimeters in length. This grass can grow in a wide variety of habitat types, including dry conditions, heavy rocky eroded soils, and disturbed areas.
