Spinifex

Spiky mounds of spinifex cover sand dunes and plains throughout Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa.

There are four different species in the park. Soft spinifex (Triodia pungens) and hard spinifex (Triodia basedowei) are the most common, but porcupine grass (Triodia irritans) and feathertop spinifex (Triodia schinzii) can be found among the domes at Kata Tjuṯa.

Spinifex grass can grow to about two metres high and spread out to around three metres, providing a home for many small mammals and reptiles.

Culture

Aṉangu use spinifex to make a glue called kiti. They thresh the spinifex to extract the resin, which is heated until it fuses into a mouldable black tar. Kiti is used to make a range of tools.

When spinifex gets old and dense, Aṉangu burn it to open up the landscape and create foraging areas for animals.