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23 July 2020

Buffelgrass – Dhahran Hills

Whilst walking in an area of Jebals in Dhahran I came across some Buffelgrass Cenchrus ciliaris which is a frequent perennial found on rocky ground in the area. This plant is a highly drought-tolerant grass, whose roots can extend to more than two meters deep. It has bristly flowers that are made up of a series of spikelets and look like an animal’s tail. It is a perennial grass growing to 20 to 120 cm tall and is native to Africa, Arabia, the Middle-East and India. It was introduced to Australia in the late 19th century and is now widespread throughout tropical, subtropical and warm temperate areas.