STYLIDIACEAE

Common or Grass Trigger Plant

 

0.15m - 0.9m (15-90cm) 

One or more spikes of pink or lilac flowers. 

Papery capsule 

Herb, variable in size, resembling a tuft of grass. 

Break O'Day; Brighton; Burnie; Central Coast; Central Highlands; Circular Head; Clarence; Derwent Valley; Devonport; Dorset; Flinders Island; Georgetown; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Glenorchy; Hobart; Huon Valley; Kentish; King Island; Kingborough; Latrobe; Launceston; Meander Valley; Northern Midlands; Sorell; Southern Midlands; Tasman; Waratah-Wynyard; West Coast; West Tamar 

Coastal Vegetation; Dry Eucalypt Forest and Woodland; Heath; Montane Vegetation 

Tas. endemic. Also found in sedgeland and wetlands.Widespread and abundant in a wide range of soil-types from sea level to mountain plateaux. 

Dry; Exposed; Moist; Rocky; Shady; Windy 

Hardy 

Fertile; Loam; Phosphorous intolerant; Poor; Sandy; Well-drained 

Interesting for the "trigger" mechanism for ensuring cross pollination. Difficult to establish in open-ground situation. Susceptible to Phytophthora cinnamomi. Attracts butterflies. Good for mass planting in borders or in pots. Suitable below powerlines. 

Small capsules that turn from green to tan brown and become brittle as they ripen. seeds turn from green to red-orange at maturity. hundreds of fine seed per fruiting stem. cut stems holding erect and tip into bag 

Storage 

 

 

Seeds tend to ripen progressively along the flower stem.Seeds may have a 2-3 months after-ripening period. Surface sow. 

7-10 weeks 

Yes 

 

 

Yes