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Cane needle grass (Nassella hyalina)

Cane needle grass forms dense infestations that can exclude desirable pasture species and invade native grasslands and open woodlands. Its sharp seeds can injure animals and damage or downgrade wool and meat, and the species may spread further in southern Australia.

Key facts

Type: Weed, grass.

Native to: Argentina, southern Brazil and Uruguay.

Established in: NSW, VIC.

Other names: Cane needlegrass.

Best time to act: Look for flowering plants from mid-spring to early summer and prioritise control before seeds form and drop during summer.

Identification

  • A perennial tussock-forming grass, usually up to 0.8 m tall, but sometimes reaching 1.5 m.
  • Leaves are up to 20 cm long and 4 mm wide, flat or rolled in, with strongly ribbed surfaces and rough margins.
  • Flower heads are branched panicles up to about 25 cm long.
  • Sharp, pale brown to purple seeds have a long, twice-bent awn and a small crown-like corona at its base.
  • It can produce hidden stem seeds at the base of the plant and in stem joints.
  • Look-alike: Native spear grasses (Austrostipa species) and other Nassella species have similar sharp seeds and bent awns; Nassella seeds usually have a corona, which is absent in Austrostipa, and introduced Nassella have a membranous ligule.
  • Look-alike: Cane needle grass has shorter awns than lobed needle grass (Nassella charruana), Chilean needle grass (N. neesiana), Texas needle grass (N. leucotricha) and short-spined needle grass (N. megapotamia); it also has stem seeds, unlike lobed and short-spined needle grass.

Where it grows

In Australia it occurs in Victoria, especially around Melbourne’s outer northern and western suburbs and central Victoria, and is uncommon in parts of New South Wales, growing in pastures, grasslands, open woodlands and riparian areas, often on fertile soils.

Why it matters

  • Dense, competitive infestations can reduce desirable pasture and invade native grasslands and open woodlands.
  • The sharp seeds can injure animals and damage sheep skins and carcasses or contaminate fleeces, reducing the value of produce.
  • It threatens conservation areas and may affect biodiversity in riverbank vegetation and grasslands, particularly where areas remain wet for long periods.

How it spreads

  • Seeds spread by attaching to clothing, animal fur and equipment, and can also be moved with soil.
  • The plant produces seeds in flower heads as well as hidden stem seeds, which can persist through grazing, slashing and fire.
  • After seed drop, a stem joint can become fragile and break, allowing animals, wind or water to disperse hidden seeds in stem sections.

Control options

  • Prioritise early detection and eradication of small infestations, report new outbreaks to the relevant state or territory agency or local council, and seek expert assistance.
  • For small patches, dig out the whole plant; cut and bag flowering heads and stem seeds first, and destroy the removed plant rather than leaving it to dry in the paddock.
  • Mowing during flowering can reduce seed set, but will not remove basal stem seeds; clean machinery thoroughly and follow up to control regrowth and new flowers.
  • Cultivation, dense pasture or crop sowing, appropriately timed high-intensity grazing, and registered herbicides may form part of a control program; contact the relevant agency for approved methods and current herbicide information.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Keep machinery and equipment weed-free, check machinery entering the property, and wash vehicles and machinery in one designated area so germinating seeds can be followed up.
  • Avoid buying hay, stock feed, crop seed or pasture seed from infested areas, and check clothing and gear for seeds that can attach to them.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Regional priority in 1 of 11 regions. Regional priority weed in Riverina. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Declared plant. Depending on the declaration, it can be an offence to move it on public roads or sell it, and landowners may be required to control it on their land.
  • Western Australia: Not listed. Not found in the Western Australian Organism List. Check with DPIRD before moving or keeping it.
  • Tasmania: Declared weed. Property managers are required by law to control declared weeds, and their import and sale are prohibited.
  • Northern Territory: Not declared. Not on the NT A to Z weed list, and Weeds Australia does not list it as declared in the NT. Check the NT declared weeds list before moving or planting it.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria

Sources