Paspalum dilatatum

 Paspalum dilatatum (Poaceae)

One of my treasured books is Pasture Legumes and Grasses which was published by The Bank of New South Wales in Sydney in June of 1961. It gives the botanical history of this South American native grass which was introduced into Australia in the 1890's by German Australian botanist Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller (1825-1896). This "tough as" pasture grass 'provided a foundation for the dairying industries' of both New South Wales and Queensland and of course eventually made its way into the suburban backyards of coastal cities and towns. By mid-twentieth century mischievous boys had learnt that if you tied the flower stalks together you could easily trip up a few of your opponents in a backyard game of footy or cricket.
Present day applications for its use could include as a 'scratch proof' ground cover for chicken pen/'ranch' and it is probably goat grazing proof as well.
The only down side to that suggestion is that the developing flower heads and seed can be affected by ergot fungus which, by reputation, can lead those who have ingested it to imagine they have entered the world of an Heironymus Bosch painting.

Meanwhile, my lawn, which consists of at least 45% Paspalum, needs mowing.

Dymondia margaretae, Silver Carpet

Dymondia margaretae

I have just been reading about this plant on xericworld.com and its use as a ground cover/ lawn /erosion control plant in the southern Californian landscape scene. It is a ground hugging plant native to the shifting sand dunes of coastal South Africa and is sometimes given the name of mini Gazania as it produces tiny yellow daisy like flowers in spring and summer. It grows by sending down a tap root every few cm when soil is present. This means it will not grow over garden edging and is most suitable to use around flag stones or in gaps between paving in the way Mondo Grass has been used. During dry spells, the leaves curl upwards and show their silver underside which can be very attractive as well. One other use mentioned for it which I thought was interesting is with Bonsai.
2017 update: I currently don't have any stock.

Durban Grass

Durban Grass or Sweet Smother grass, Dactyloctenium australe

This is the grass of choice if you want to establish a lawn under trees in heavy shade. It is a turf grass suitable to the warm east coast and available in Sydney from John Smith Turf. I love it because it is very soft to walk on or lie on, on a hot summer day. It is not really hard wearing so is not great for kicking a football around on or if you have a large dog which likes to dig.
Now is the time to start a fertilizer program for lawns .I like to use the Neutrog brand Upstart and Rapid Raiser because they are organic based and quick acting.

Zoysia tenuifolia, 'No Mow Grass'

The Zoysia grasses, including this one and Z.japonica(Japanese lawn grass)and Z. matrella (Manila grass) are becoming more well known for use as ground cover and as lawn. They are a lush velvety green ,hard wearing and able to cope with drought as well as having lower fertilizer and mowing requirements compared to other turf grasses. Zoysia tenuifolia which is also given the common names "Mascarene grass" or "Temple grass"is mainly used as a ground cover because it tends to grow in an undulating way, creating ripples and small hills right up to the trunks of trees in deep shade. This growth habit could be unkindly thought of as lumpy but it adds an interesting texture to a garden design. Growth tends to be fairly slow and the main problem I have encountered in growing it comes from weeds which can take over the spaces while you wait for the grass to fill in a gap.It makes an excellent ground cover for Japanese style gardens where you want to simulate a moss style landscape or where trees make establishing a conventional lawn difficult . In cooler climates it will turn lose some green cover over winter but is said to be hardy down to minus 12C.
2017 update: I no longer grow it or have plants for sale. I can order in from other growers as required.