Onion Grass - introduced (*Romulea rosea)

Family: Iridaceae (Iris family).

Native of South Africa.

Occurrence: A very common and widespread weed in paddocks, roadsides, waste areas and bushland.

Identification:

• the leaves are green and wiry and have their bases underground
• the flowers are at the end of a wiry stalk
• the flowers are a rosy magenta colour with a yellow centre
• the plant grows from an underground corm.

The corms are a food source for cockatoos and corellas. Although called Onion Grass, it is neither a grass nor a member of the onion family.

Similar species: Small-flowered Onion Grass (R. minutiflora) is a smaller plant, with smaller and paler flowers, and the petals have blunt tips. It is widespread but less common than Onion Grass.

Both are environmental weeds.

Photos
1: Whole plant.
2: Flowers of Onion Grass and Small Onion Grass. Castlemaine. The petals of Small Onion Grass are blunt, and usually paler, and smaller. Doveton St, Castlemaine.
3, 4: Flowers with a yellow centre.