Species source document

The grass-velds of Johannesburg suburbs: the Houghton Estate

A study that was done over 100 years ago (!). Grasses were identified within a twenty-acre block on the Houghton Estate. The reason being that 'dairying is such an important industry around Johannesburg', and 'the sources of food supply available for dairy cows are worth careful study'. How times in the Johannesburg suburbs have changed! But it provides us a useful list of grasses that existed in this area over a hundred years ago. NOTE: Not copied from the species list was Cynodon incompletus, which was listed as 'Adventive' to the area (not native).

Source:
Agricultural Journal of the Union of South Africa
Volume 4, Issue 19: Volume 4, Issue 19
Jan 1916

Linked species

The following 17 species were imported from this document.

Name	Form	Wildlife	Aspect	Habitats
C3 Cockatoo Grass Alloteropsis semialata eckloniana	Grass
Sixweeks Three-awn Aristida adscensionis	Grass		Semi-shade Sun	Rocky habitat
Curly Leaved Three-awn Aristida aequiglumis	Grass	Birds	Sun
Citronella Grass Cymbopogon nardus	Grass
Digitgrass Digitaria eriantha	Grass	Birds Grazers/browsers	Sun	Soil: clay Soil: loam Soil: sandy
Wire Grass Elionurus muticus	Grass Ground cover	Birds	Semi-shade Sun	Rocky habitat Soil: sandy
Narrow Heart Love Grass Eragrostis chalcantha	Grass
Caterpillar Grass Harpochloa falx	Grass Perennial Perennial	Birds Grazers/browsers	Semi-shade Sun	Near water
Common Russet Grass Loudetia simplex	Grass Perennial Perennial		Semi-shade Sun
Boat Grass Monocymbium ceresiiforme	Grass Perennial Perennial		Semi-shade Sun	Near water Rocky habitat Soil: sandy
Natal Buffalo Grass Panicum natalense	Grass Perennial Perennial	Birds	Semi-shade Sun	Rocky habitat
African Bristlegrass Setaria sphacelata	Grass
Kangaroo Grass Themeda triandra	Grass Perennial Perennial	Grazers/browsers	Semi-shade Sun	Soil: clay
Spiked Crinkleawn Trachypogon spicatus	Grass Perennial Perennial		Semi-shade Sun	Rocky habitat
Tristachya rehmannii	Grass		Semi-shade Sun	Rocky habitat
Quinine Grass Urelytrum agropyroides	Grass		Semi-shade Sun	Rocky habitat
Red-topped Signal Grass Urochloa serrata	Grass

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Braamfontein Spruit Ecological Corridor

The grass-velds of Johannesburg suburbs: the Houghton Estate

Linked species

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