Common plants in the Pilbara of Western Australia

Page last updated: Friday, 14 April 2023 - 11:25am

Please note: This content may be out of date and is currently under review.

This information is a resource for pastoral lessees, station managers and others to help identify plants and assess pasture condition and trend in the Pilbara rangelands of Western Australia.

The Pilbara rangelands

Most of the Pilbara is characterised by grasslands, with grasslands and shrublands present in the southern Pilbara (Figure 1).

Map of the Western Australian rangeland regions
Figure 1 Rangeland regions of Western Australia

Information on these plants can assist pastoral lessees and station managers to assess pasture condition and trend, and improve grazing management.

This information is from well-respected publications, and observations, monitoring and trials by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).

Common plants in the Pilbara

Common name

(link to DPIRD species page)

Scientific name

(link to FloraBase)

Poverty bush (wattle) Acacia stellaticeps
Bardie bush Acacia victoriae
Erect kerosene grass Aristida holathera
Feathertop wiregrass Aristida latifolia
Barley Mitchell grass Astrebla pectinata
Buffel grass and birdwood grass Cenchrus ciliaris and C. setiger
Ribbon grass Chrysopogon fallax

Rattlepods

Crotalaria spp.
Ruby saltbush Enchylaena tomentosa
Woollybutt grass Eragrostis eriopoda
Neverfail Eragrostis setifolia
Roebourne plains grass Eragrostis xerophila
Wilcox bush Eremophila forrestii
Warty leaf eremophila Eremophila latrobei
Wire grass Eriachne obtusa
Frankenias Frankenia spp.
Golden bluebush Maireana georgei
Felty leaf bluebush Maireana tomentosa
Cotton bush Ptilotus obovatus
Tall saltbush Rhagodia eremaea
Native pea Rhynchosia minima
Crinkle leaf cassia Senna artemisioides subsp. helmsii
Bloodbush Senna artemisiodes subsp. oligophylla
Creeping cassia Senna hamersleyensis
Creeping sida Sida fibulifera
Tomato bush Solanum orbiculatum
Hard spinifexes - Pilbara Triodia basedowii, T. wiseana, T. lanigera and T. longiceps
Soft spinifexes Triodia pungens, T. schinzii and T. epactia

References

Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions's FloraBase pages.

Mitchell, AA & Wilcox, DG 1994, Arid shrubland plants of Western Australia, revised edition, Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Perth.

Petheram, RJ & Kok, B 2003, Plants of the Kimberley region of Western Australia, revised edition, University of Western Australia Press, Perth.

Contact information

Damian Priest
+61 (0)8 9956 3349
Joshua Foster