GRASSES
When most people look at grasslands or veld all they see is a yellowish grass that often occupies open spaces and doesn’t appear to support much life, perhaps you see it as a perfect place to develop a shopping center or a house. What we don’t see is a complex ecosystem which supports a huge variety of organisms such as insects, frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals which includes our large herbivores. Many species use the grassland to build nests, forage for food, and use as shelter. There are many different types of grasslands all over South Africa and in Gauteng we have Egoli Granite Grassland which occurs nowhere else.
There are many species of grasses that occur throughout South Africa and each species has been given an ecological status which groups similar types of grass together based on their reaction to grazing. There are 5 groups of grasses: Decreasers, Increaser I, Increaser II, Increaser III and Invaders.
Assessing the veld condition is done by doing a survey to determine the number and density of species in an area (called the species composition). There are several techniques used to analyse the data and all of them enable researchers to identify whether the grassland is healthy with a high biodiversity with a high ecological value, or degraded with few species and a low ecological value.
It is important to note that even grassland which might be considered degraded and with little value is still important as it will protect the soil from erosion and provide shelter to many organisms.
If you have seen a species in the area that is not on the list please contact me so I can add it. Please be aware that if the species you saw is unusual or out of range I will need a photo as verification before I can add it to the list. Email: Biodiversity@gekco.org.za
Alloteropsis semiolata - Black Seed Grass
Aristida congesta subsp. barbicollis - Spreading Three Awn
Aristida congesta subsp. congesta - Tassel Three Awn
Aristida transvaalensis - Klipgras
Bewsia biflora - False Love Grass
Brachiaria brizantha - Common Signal Grass
Brachiaria nigropedata - Black Footed Signal Grass
Brachiaria serrata - Velevet grass
Bulbostylis burchellii - Sedge Grass
Cenchrus ciliaris - Buffalo Grass
Cymbopogan excavates - Broad Leafed Turpentine Grass
Cymbopogan plurinodis - Narrow Leafed Turpentine Grass
Cynodon dactylon - Couch Grass
Digitaria eriantha - Common Finger Grass
Digitaria ternate - Black Seed Finger Grass
Eragrostis chloromelas - Curly Leaf Grass
Eragrostis curvula - Weeping Love grass
Eragrostis gummiflua - Gum Grass
Eragrostis plana - Tough love Grass
Eragrostis racemosa - Narrow Heart Love Grass
Eustachys paspaloides - Fan Grass
Fingerhuthia - Africana Thimble Grass
Harpochloa falx - Caterpillar Grass
Heteropogan contortins - Spear Grass
Hyparrhenia filipendula - Fine Thatching Grass
Hyparrhenia hirta - Thatch Grass
Loudetia simplex - Common Russet Grass
Melinis nerviglumis - Mountain Red Top Grass
Melinis repens subspec. repens - Natal Red topMelinis repens subspec. repens - Natal Red top
Monocymbium ceresiiform - Boat Grass
Panicum maximum - Guinea Grass
Panicum natalense - Natal Panicum
Pogonarthria squarrosa - Herringbone Grass
Schizachyrium sanguineum - Red Autumn Grass
Setaria sphacelata var. sphacelata - Common Bristle Grass
Sporobolus pectinatus - Fringed Dropseed Grass
Sporobolus stapfianus - Fibrous Dropseed Grass
Themeda triandra - Red Grass
Trachypogon spicatus - Giant Spear Grass
Tribolum uniolae - Hare Grass
Trichoneura grandiglumis - Small Rolling Grass
Triraphis andropogonoides - Broom Needle Grass
Tristachya leucothrix - Hairy Trident Grass
Tristachya rehmannii
Urelytrum agropyroides - Centipede Grass
Urochloa panicoides - Garden Urochloa