Pentameris eriostoma

Pentameris eriostoma, commonly known as tussock grass, polgras in Afrikaans and scientifically previous Pentaschistis eriostoma, is a tough and tufted, tussock-forming, perennial grass, the long slender culms reaching heights from 30 cm to 90 cm.

The species distribution is from Namaqualand in the Northern Cape, across most of the Western Cape to parts of the Eastern Cape, at least as far east as Baviaanskloof. The photo was taken in the Salmonsdam Nature Reserve near Stanford.

The habitat is sandstone and clay slopes and flats, often in renosterveld where this grass sometimes dominates. The species is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century.

This grass is usually unpalatable to stock and game, apart from after a fire when the new growth may be favoured. P. eriostoma may be used as an ornamental garden plant (Euston-Brown and Kruger, 2023; Curtis-Scott, et al, 2020; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; https://www.selinawamucii.com; https://www.worldfloraonline.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).