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Grasses
Grasses
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guli
Native millet
Language name
guli (gamilaraay, yuwalaraay)
Scientific name
Panicum decompositum
Plant location
Plant description
guli is a perennial grass growing to 1 metre high. It has large, pale blue-green leaves
and spindly, branching seed heads. The leaves grow to 50cm long and the seed heads
grow between 30 - 80cm long. The seeds are around 1.5mm long.
Grasses
guli (Native Millet) grows in good soils throughout the central and western areas of
the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments.
Traditional use
guli grows well after good rain, and produces very large numbers of seed during
summer and autumn. When ripe, these seeds were gathered by women and eaten raw
after separating by threshing, or ground into a type of flour on milling stones, mixed
with water, made into a damper and cooked in ashes (Howell 1983).
Seed head
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ganalay
Mitchell grass
Language name
ganalay (yuwalayaay)
Scientific name
Astrebla pectinata
and other Astrebla species
ganalay is widespread in the western areas of the Border Rivers and Gwydir
catchments. It grows on clay and loam soils.
Plant description
ganalay grows in tussocks to a height of 1.2 metres, usually averaging 60cm high. It
has erect stems which are hairless and smooth. It has sharp, rough leaves which are
6mm wide and bluish-green in colour. The flower head is 4-13cm long and 1-2cm
wide, with 2 rows of spikelets. The grass flowers following rain.
Grasses
Plant location
Traditional use
ganalay seeds were a valuable source of carbohydrates for Aboriginal people. This
grass was plentiful and the seed was easy to separate from the chaff. The grass was
dried on racks in the sun and the seeds were gathered, ground and made into damper.
Large quantities were stored. Seed grinding grooves in rocks, from the use of native
grasses, can be found throughout the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments- this
reminds us of how important these grasses were in the diet of Aboriginal people
(Purcell 2002, Cribb & Cribb 1975). Sometimes, a bird trap could be made of two
sticks and a net of ganalay. This was set on swamps for ducks, and on fields of
ganalay to catch parrots.
Seed head
142
Grass habit
143
garaarr
Kangaroo grass
Language name
garaarr (gamilaraay)
ggaraarr (gamilaraay)
buunhu (yuwaalaraay, yuwaalayaay)
Scientific name
Themeda australis
garaarr (Kangaroo grass) is widespread in a variety of habitats throughout the Border
Rivers and Gwydir catchments.
Plant description
garaarr is a leafy perennial grass which grows to 150 cm high. The stems are smooth
and hairless, while the flowerheads are loose with irregularly spaced spikelets. This
plant is often tinted red.
Grasses
Plant location
Traditional use
garaarr (Kangaroo grass) is an iconic native grass of the Australian bush. Many
explorers wrote of the vast plains of Kangaroo grass that they saw when they first
visited Australia. The seeds of this plant, which ripen in summer, were collected
across the tablelands of New South Wales by Aboriginal people. The large quantities
of seed were collected in wooden bowls or coolamons, separated from the chaff and
then ground with a grinding dish and stone. Look out for these grinding grooves
which can still be seen across the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments. After
grinding, the flour was mixed with water and baked to make damper (Australian
National Botanic Gardens 2010f).The words garaarr, ggaraarr and buunhu are the
general name for grass.
Grass habit
144
Seed head (close up)
Seed head
145
garaarr
Swamp foxtail
Language name
garaarr (gamilaraay)
ggaraarr (gamilaraay)
buunhu (yuwaalaraay, yuwaalayaay)
Scientific name
Pennisetum alopeculoides
garaarr (Swamp Foxtail) is found in the central and eastern areas of the Border
Rivers and Gwydir catchments. It usually grows on flats below watercourses and in
boggy areas.
Plant description
Grasses
Plant location
garaarr is a tufted perennial grass which grows to 1 metre high. It forms large
tussocks. The flower is spike-like, cylindrical and dense, growing up to 20cm long.
Traditional use
The stems and heads of garaarr were used as a broom. Women also used these parts
of the plant to weave baskets and other implements. The gurayn (flower) heads were
occasionally used as decoration (Hudson, in press). The words garaarr, ggaraarr
and buunhu are the general name for grass.
Seed head
146
Grass habit
Grass habit
147
dharill
Common reed
Language name
dharill (gamilaraay)
Scientific name
Phragmites australis
Plant location
Plant description
dharill grows in or near water and reaches a height of up to 6 metres, but is usually
less than 2 metres tall. The stems are cane-like, while the leaves taper to form a fine
point. The flower heads are dense and slightly nodding, with a brown to purplish
colour. dharill has the appearance of small bamboo.
Grasses
dharill (the Common reed) grows in wet places especially at the edge of ponds and
streams. It is widespread throughout the Border Rivers and Gwydir catchments.
Traditional use
The stems of dharill have been used by Aboriginal people to weave baskets and
bags, and the women sometimes made skirts to wear (Howell 1983). Twine was made
from dharill. The stems can be used to make light spears which can be used to spear
fish. The stems are also used to make fire (Williams & Sides 2008). The warran
(roots) of dharill can be dug up and cooked - they are good eating. Due to its close
proximity to water and dense foliage, this plant provides good habitat for wildlife.
In some areas of the Murray River, dharill was used to make rafts to collect mussels
on inland lakes. The stems were sometimes cut into short lengths to stick through
the septum of the nose for decoration or it was worn like a necklace, with animal fur
or fibre threaded through it. Both men and women enjoyed wearing the necklaces
(Purcell 2002).
Grass habit
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Seed head
149