Scientific Name
Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng.
Synonyms
Panicum alopecuroides L.Pennisetum compressum R. Br.
Common Names
Australian fountain grass, Chinese fountain grass, Chinese fountaingrass, Chinese pennisetum, foxtail fountain grass, fountain grass, fountaingrass, perennial fountain grass, swamp fox tail grass, swamp foxtail, swamp foxtail grass, swamp foxtail-grass
Family
Gramineae (South Australia)Poaceae (Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory)
Origin
Native to China, Japan, south-eastern Asia (i.e. Myanmar, Indonesia and the Philippines) and eastern India (i.e. Assam). Sometimes also regarded as being native to large parts of eastern Australia (i.e. eastern Queensland, eastern and southern New South Wales and the ACT).
Naturalised Distribution
It is certainly naturalised in southern and eastern Victoria and sparingly naturalised in Tasmania. While this species has often been considered native to large parts of eastern Australia (i.e. Queensland, eastern and southern New South Wales and the ACT), it is now uncertain whether this is the case. Plants that have recently become popular in cultivation are probably also derived from an introduced form of this species.
Notes
Swamp foxtail (Pennisetum alopecuroides) is sometimes regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales. It is also regarded as an environmental weed in Victoria, and as a potential environmental weed in Tasmania and Western Australia. It has recently become popular as an ornamental grass that is often planted in gardens and amenity areas. As the common name suggests, swamp foxtail (Pennisetum alopecuroides) generally invades moist sites such as river flats, swamps, marshes and low-lying pastures.
