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

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The following 17 species were imported from this document.

Name	Vegetation type(s)	Features	Flowers & type
C3 Cockatoo Grass Alloteropsis semialata eckloniana	Egoli Granite Grassland	Egoli Granite Grassland	Grass
Sixweeks Three-awn Aristida adscensionis	Egoli Granite Grassland Witwatersrand	Rocky habitat Semi-shade Sun Pioneer species Egoli Granite Grassland Gauteng	green yellow Grass
Curly Leaved Three-awn Aristida aequiglumis	Egoli Granite Grassland	Birds Good garden plant Attractive Useful Sun Egoli Granite Grassland	Grass
Citronella Grass Cymbopogon nardus	Egoli Granite Grassland	Egoli Granite Grassland	Grass
Digitgrass Digitaria eriantha	Egoli Granite Grassland	Birds Grazers/browsers Drought-resistant Easy to grow Medicinal Useful Sun Soil: clay Soil: loam Soil: sandy Egoli Granite Grassland	brown Dec Grass
Wire Grass Elionurus muticus	Egoli Granite Grassland Witwatersrand	Birds Drought-resistant Easy to grow Attractive Fragrant Medicinal Useful Rocky habitat Semi-shade Sun Climax species Pioneer species Sub-climax species Soil: sandy Egoli Granite Grassland Gauteng	brown green white yellow Feb Sep Oct Nov Dec Grass Ground cover
Narrow Heart Love Grass Eragrostis chalcantha	Egoli Granite Grassland	Egoli Granite Grassland	Grass
Caterpillar Grass Harpochloa falx	Egoli Granite Grassland Witwatersrand	Birds Grazers/browsers Good garden plant Attractive Near water Semi-shade Sun Climax species Egoli Granite Grassland Gauteng	green yellow Jan Feb Mar Apr Sep Oct Nov Dec Grass Perennial
Common Russet Grass Loudetia simplex	Egoli Granite Grassland Witwatersrand	Semi-shade Sun Egoli Granite Grassland Gauteng	green yellow Grass Perennial
Boat Grass Monocymbium ceresiiforme	Egoli Granite Grassland Witwatersrand	Drought-resistant Easy to grow Attractive Useful Near water Rocky habitat Semi-shade Sun Soil: sandy Egoli Granite Grassland Gauteng	green yellow Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Grass Perennial
Natal Buffalo Grass Panicum natalense	Egoli Granite Grassland Witwatersrand	Birds Attractive Rocky habitat Semi-shade Sun Egoli Granite Grassland Gauteng	green yellow Grass Perennial
African Bristlegrass Setaria sphacelata	Egoli Granite Grassland	Egoli Granite Grassland	Grass
Kangaroo Grass Themeda triandra	Egoli Granite Grassland Peninsula Shale Renosterveld Witwatersrand	Grazers/browsers Good garden plant Easy to grow Attractive Useful Semi-shade Sun Climax species Soil: clay Egoli Granite Grassland Gauteng	green yellow Feb Mar Apr May Sep Oct Nov Dec Grass Perennial
Spiked Crinkleawn Trachypogon spicatus	Egoli Granite Grassland Witwatersrand	Rocky habitat Semi-shade Sun Egoli Granite Grassland Gauteng	green yellow Grass Perennial
Tristachya rehmannii	Egoli Granite Grassland Witwatersrand	Rocky habitat Semi-shade Sun Egoli Granite Grassland Gauteng	green yellow Grass
Quinine Grass Urelytrum agropyroides	Egoli Granite Grassland Witwatersrand	Rocky habitat Semi-shade Sun Climax species Egoli Granite Grassland Gauteng	green yellow Grass
Red-topped Signal Grass Urochloa serrata	Egoli Granite Grassland	Egoli Granite Grassland	Grass

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Braamfontein Spruit Ecological Corridor

The grass-velds of Johannesburg suburbs: the Houghton Estate

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