Plants that grow on saline land in Western Australia

Page last updated: Tuesday, 20 August 2019 - 2:50pm

Please note: This content may be out of date and is currently under review.

This page lists species commonly found on or near saline land in southern Western Australia. These species can be used as indicators of the level of salinity and waterlogging on the site.

The SALTdeck cards linked from this page were produced to assist livestock producers and their advisers to identify plant species that grow on salt-affected land.

Content of Table 1

Table 1 has summarised the information on each species: the linked PDFs have a short description of each plant, with photographs, an estimate of the waterlogging and salinity tolerance, and where the plant has been recorded and could grow. Each SALTdeck card has references for that plant's information.

Comments

  • Alien means that the plant has been introduced from outside of Western Australia, and may have become naturalised (grows and reproduces in competition with native flora or other alien plants).
  • Forage value is a generalised term about the value to grazing or browsing livestock for protein and metabolisable energy. Some plants – for instance, Rhodes grass – have high forage value when young and actively growing, and very low forage value when mature and dry. Some of the plants – for instance, the saltbushes – have their best forage value in combination with other forage plants.
Table 1 Plants that grow on saline and/or waterlogged land. Links from the common name go to SALTdeck cards (PDF) and the scientific name goes to FloraBase
Scientific name Common name Salt
tolerance
Waterlogging
tolerance
Form Comments
Acacia saligna golden wreath wattle moderate temporary tree native, low forage value
Symphyotrichum squamatum (syn. Aster subulatus) bushy starwort moderate low herb alien, naturalised, weed
Atriplex amnicola river saltbush moderate to high moderate shrub native, moderate forage value, halophyte
Atriplex nummularia old man saltbush moderate low shrub native, moderate forage value, halophyte
Atriplex prostrata orache moderate moderate shrub native, low to moderate forage value, halophyte
Atriplex semibaccata creeping saltbush moderate low shrub native, low to moderate forage value, halophyte
Atriplex undulata wavy-leaf saltbush moderate moderate to low shrub native, moderate forage value, halophyte
Baccharis halimifolia groundsel bush moderate to low moderate to low shrub alien, weed, may be toxic
Bromus catharticus prairie grass low low grass alien, naturalised, moderate forage value
Chloris gayana Rhodes grass low low to moderate grass alien, moderate to high forage value
Chloris truncata windmill grass low low grass native, moderate forage value
Cotula coronopifolia water buttons high high herb native, low forage value, may be toxic
Crassula tetramera (syn. Crassula sieberiana stonecrop moderate moderate herb native, low forage value
Cynodon dactylon common couch moderate moderate grass native, moderate forage value
Distichlis distichophylla Australian salt grass high high grass native, low to moderate forage value
Distichlis spicata distichlis moderate to high high grass alien, forage information limited
Enchylaena tomentosa ruby saltbush moderate low shrub native, low forage value, varieties
Tecticornia spp. (syn. Halosarcia spp.) samphire very high very high shrub native, low forage value
Heliotropium curassavicum smooth heliotrope moderate moderate herb native, weed, toxic
Holcus lanatus Yorkshire fog low to moderate low to moderate grass alien, naturalised, moderate forage value
Hordeum leporinum barley grass low to moderate low to moderate grass alien, naturalised, moderate forage value
Hordeum marinum sea barley grass high low to moderate grass alien, naturalised, moderate forage value
Juncus acutus spiny rush moderate moderate to high rush alien, naturalised, weed
Juncus bufonius toad rush moderate moderate to high rush alien, weed, low forage value
Lolium multiflorum Italian ryegrass moderate low grass alien, high forage value
Lolium rigidum annual ryegrass moderate low grass alien, high forage value
Maireana brevifolia small-leaf bluebush moderate low shrub native, moderate forage value, toxic
Medicago polymorpha burr medic low to moderate low to moderate legume alien, high forage value
Medicago truncatula barrel medic low to moderate low legume alien, high forage value
Mesembryanthemum crystallinum ice plant moderate low herb alien, low forage value
Parapholis incurva curly ryegrass high high grass alien, naturalised, moderate forage value
Paspalum vaginatum saltwater couch moderate to high high grass native in part of range, naturalised elsewhere, forage information limited
Cenchrus clandestinus (syn.  Pennisetum clandestinum kikuyu low moderate grass alien, high forage value
Plantago coronopus buckshorn plantain moderate moderate herb alien, naturalised, moderate forage value
Polypogon monspeliensis beard grass moderate to high moderate to high grass alien, naturalised, moderate forage value
Portulaca oleracea pigweed moderate low herb native in part of range, naturalised elsewhere, low forage value, may be toxic
Puccinellia ciliata puccinellia high high grass alien, naturalised, moderate forage value
Rhagodia spp. rhagodia moderate low shrub native, low forage value
Samolus repens creeping brookweed high high herb native, low forage value
Salicornia quinqueflora (syn. Sarcocornia quinqueflora) glasswort high high herb native, low forage value
Sclerolaena deserticola (syn,  Sclerolaena muricata) black roly poly moderate low shrub native, low forage value
Spergularia marina salt sand spurrey high low to moderate herb native, low forage value
Sporobolus virginicus marine couch moderate to high high grass native, moderate forage value
Thinopyrum ponticum tall wheat grass low to moderate low to moderate grass alien, naturalised, moderate to high forage value
Trifolium fragiferum strawberry clover moderate moderate legume alien, high forage value
Trifolium glanduliferum gland clover moderate moderate legume alien, high forage value
Trifolium michelianum balansa clover low to moderate moderate legume alien, high forage value
Trifolium resupinatum Persian clover low to moderate high legume alien, high forage value
Trifolium tomentosum woolly clover low to moderate low to moderate legume alien, moderate to high forage value
Triglochin striata streaked arrowgrass high high herb native, low to moderate forage value

 

Contact information

Ed Barrett-Lennard
+61 (0)8 9368 3798