| Scientific Name | Hemarthria altissima (Poir.) Stapf & C.E.Hubb. | Higher Classification | Monocotyledons | Family | POACEAE | Synonyms | Hemarthria fasciculata (Lam.) Kunth, Rottboellia compressa L.f., Rottboellia compressa L.f. var. fasciculata (Lam.) Hack. | Common Names | Batavian Quick Grass (e), Bataviese Kweek (a), Couch Grass (e), Marotlo-a-mafubelu (ss), Perdegras (a), Perdekweek (a), Red Swamp Grass (e), Red Vlei Grass (e), Rooikweek (a), Rooivleigras (a), Swamp Couch (e), Swamp Couch Grass (e) |
National Status | Status and Criteria | Least Concern | Assessment Date | 2020/02/20 | Assessor(s) | L. von Staden | Justification | Hemarthria altissima is widespread, common and not in danger of extinction. |
Distribution | Endemism | Not endemic to South Africa | Provincial distribution | Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape | Range | This species is widespread and common across eastern and southern South Africa, but rarer in the arid central and western parts of the country, where it is known from only a few scattered records. It is also widespread across tropical Africa and Madagascar, extending as far as the Mediterranean region and south-east Asia. |
Habitat and Ecology | Major system | Terrestrial | Major habitats | Northern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland, Vaal-Vet Sandy Grassland, Eastern Free State Clay Grassland, Frankfort Highveld Grassland, Basotho Montane Shrubland, East Griqualand Grassland, Central Free State Grassland, Western Maputaland Clay Bushveld, Eastern Free State Sandy Grassland, Drakensberg Foothill Moist Grassland, Maputaland Coastal Belt, Income Sandy Grassland, Subtropical Alluvial Vegetation, Highveld Alluvial Vegetation, Mooi River Highland Grassland, Paulpietersburg Moist Grassland, Eastern Highveld Grassland, Steenkampsberg Montane Grassland, Soweto Highveld Grassland, Tsakane Clay Grassland, Southern KwaZulu-Natal Moist Grassland, Rand Highveld Grassland, Mabela Sandy Grassland, Mthatha Moist Grassland, Tsomo Grassland, KwaZulu-Natal Highland Thornveld, Midlands Mistbelt Grassland, Northern Zululand Mistbelt Grassland, Swamp Forest, Hamburg Dune Thicket, Lower Gariep Alluvial Vegetation, Bushmanland Vloere, Maputaland Wooded Grassland, KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt Grassland, Breede Alluvium Fynbos, Cape Flats Sand Fynbos, Elim Ferricrete Fynbos, South Eastern Coastal Thornveld, Lowveld Riverine Forest, Sekhukhune Montane Grassland, Amathole Montane Grassland, Northern Drakensberg Highland Grassland, Carletonville Dolomite Grassland, Aliwal North Dry Grassland, Xhariep Karroid Grassland, Wakkerstroom Montane Grassland, Lower Gariep Broken Veld, KaNgwane Montane Grassland, Boland Granite Fynbos, Zululand Lowveld, Soutpansberg Mountain Bushveld, Moot Plains Bushveld, Tembe Sandy Bushveld, Kimberley Thornveld, Granite Lowveld, Sekhukhune Plains Bushveld, Northern Zululand Sourveld, Makhado Sweet Bushveld, Amersfoort Highveld Clay Grassland, Andesite Mountain Bushveld, Muzi Palm Veld and Wooded Grassland, Dwaalboom Thornveld, Albertinia Sand Fynbos, Breede Sand Fynbos, Peninsula Granite Fynbos, Suurberg Shale Fynbos, Agulhas Sand Fynbos, Peninsula Shale Fynbos, Tzaneen Sour Bushveld, Gabbro Grassy Bushveld, Cape Winelands Shale Fynbos, Hopefield Sand Fynbos, Suurberg Quartzite Fynbos, Legogote Sour Bushveld, South Langeberg Sandstone Fynbos, North Outeniqua Sandstone Fynbos, South Outeniqua Sandstone Fynbos, South Swartberg Sandstone Fynbos, Algoa Sandstone Fynbos, Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos, Kango Conglomerate Fynbos, Maputaland Pallid Sandy Bushveld, Breede Alluvium Renosterveld, Agulhas Limestone Fynbos, KwaZulu-Natal Hinterland Thornveld, Albany Valley Thicket, Buffels Mesic Thicket, Buffels Valley Thicket, Grahamstown Grassland Thicket, Mons Ruber Fynbos Thicket, Motherwell Karroid Thicket, Sundays Mesic Thicket, Sundays Valley Thicket, Bhisho Thornveld, Fynbos Riparian Vegetation, Cape Lowland Alluvial Vegetation, Lourensford Alluvium Fynbos, Upper Gariep Alluvial Vegetation, Leipoldtville Sand Fynbos, Albany Alluvial Vegetation, Thukela Thornveld, Lowveld Rugged Mopaneveld, Tsende Mopaneveld, Mopane Basalt Shrubland, Limpopo Ridge Bushveld, Pondoland-Ugu Sandstone Coastal Sourveld, KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Belt Thornveld, Overberg Dune Strandveld, Swartland Alluvium Fynbos, Kango Limestone Renosterveld, Swellendam Silcrete Fynbos, Eastern Valley Bushveld, Springbokvlakte Thornveld, Langkloof Shale Renosterveld, Ghaap Plateau Vaalbosveld, Schmidtsdrif Thornveld, Lydenburg Thornveld, Woodbush Granite Grassland, Schweizer-Reneke Bushveld, Gold Reef Mountain Bushveld, Marikana Thornveld, Sekhukhune Mountain Bushveld, Limpopo Sweet Bushveld, Kuruman Thornveld, Waterberg Mountain Bushveld, Makuleke Sandy Bushveld, Loskop Thornveld, Queenstown Thornveld, Tarkastad Montane Shrubland, Dry Coast Hinterland Grassland, Ithala Quartzite Sourveld, Moist Coast Hinterland Grassland, Low Escarpment Moist Grassland, Central Sandy Bushveld, Gauteng Shale Mountain Bushveld, Robertson Karoo, Eastern Little Karoo, Roodeberg Bushveld, Western Highveld Sandy Grassland, Eastern Ruens Shale Renosterveld, Mossel Bay Shale Renosterveld, Uniondale Shale Renosterveld, Saldanha Flats Strandveld, Northern Upper Karoo, Southern Drakensberg Highland Grassland, Lesotho Highland Basalt Grassland, Karoo Escarpment Grassland, Makatini Clay Thicket, Vredefort Dome Granite Grassland, Kuruman Vaalbosveld, Klerksdorp Thornveld, Vanrhynsdorp Shale Renosterveld, Western Maputaland Sandy Bushveld, Southern Lebombo Bushveld, Besemkaree Koppies Shrubland, Bloemfontein Dry Grassland, Swaziland Sour Bushveld, Winburg Grassy Shrubland, Western Free State Clay Grassland, Zastron Moist Grassland, Egoli Granite Grassland, Pretoriuskop Sour Bushveld, Albany Mesic Thicket, Vaal Reefs Dolomite Sinkhole Woodland | Description | It occurs in wet places along the margins of streams, swamps, lake shores and wetlands, 15-1500 m. |
Population | It is a localized habitat specialist, but can be locally dominant. It is regarded as a weed in some areas (Fish et al. 2015).
| Population trend | Stable |
Assessment History |
Taxon assessed |
Status and Criteria |
Citation/Red List version | | Hemarthria altissima (Poir.) Stapf & C.E.Hubb. | Least Concern | Raimondo et al. (2009) | |
Bibliography | Cope, T. 1999. Gramineae. In: G.V. Pope (ed). Flora Zambesiaca 10 (Part 2):1-253. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Fish, L., Mashau, A.C., Moeaha, M.J. and Nembudani, M.T. 2015. Identification guide to southern African grasses. Strelitzia 36. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
Goldblatt, P. and Manning, J.C. 2000. Cape Plants: A conspectus of the Cape Flora of South Africa. Strelitzia 9. National Botanical Institute, Cape Town.
Manning, J.C. and Goldblatt, P. 2012. Plants of the Greater Cape Floristic Region 1: The Core Cape Flora. Strelitzia 29. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
Raimondo, D., von Staden, L., Foden, W., Victor, J.E., Helme, N.A., Turner, R.C., Kamundi, D.A. and Manyama, P.A. 2009. Red List of South African Plants. Strelitzia 25. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
Vlok, J. and Schutte-Vlok, A.L. 2010. Plants of the Klein Karoo. Umdaus Press, Hatfield.
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Citation | | von Staden, L. 2020. Hemarthria altissima (Poir.) Stapf & C.E.Hubb. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version . Accessed on 2025/06/30 |
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 © J.H. Vlok/A.L. Schutte-Vlok
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