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field beadgrass, field paspalum

scattered paspalum

Habit Plants perennial; shortly rhizomatous. Plants perennial; cespitose.
Culms

40-120 cm, erect;

nodes glabrous or pubescent.

100-200 cm, stout, erect;

nodes glabrous.

Sheaths

glabrous or pubescent;

ligules 1.5-3.8 mm;

blades to 37 cm long, 2-9.3 mm wide, flat, glabrous or pubescent.

glabrous or sparsely pubescent;

ligules 1-2 mm, brown;

blades to 50 cm long, 7-18 mm wide, flat, glabrous or pubescent, margins scabrous, ciliate.

Panicles

terminal, with 1-6 racemosely arranged branches;

branches 2-10.9 cm, diverging to spreading (rarely erect), persistent;

branch axes 0.6-1.3 mm wide, glabrous, margins scabrous, terminating in a spikelet.

terminal, with 4-13 racemosely arranged branches;

branches 6-11 cm, diverging, divaricate, or reflexed;

branch axes 0.5-1(1.2) mm wide, winged, wings narrower than the central section, terminating in a spikelet.

Spikelets

2.3-3.3 mm long, 2-2.7 mm wide, solitary, appressed to the branch axes, elliptic to obovate or nearly orbicular, glabrous, stramineous.

2-2.7(3) mm long, 1.1-1.8 mm wide, paired, appressed to or diverging from the branch axes, elliptic to obovate, pubescent, brown.

Lower glumes

absent;

upper glumes 3-veined, lower lemmas 5-veined;

upper florets pale to stramineous.

absent;

upper glumes densely short pubescent, hairs about 0.5 mm;

lower lemmas glabrous or sparsely short pubescent, margins entire;

upper florets 1.8-2.2 mm, pubescent, brown.

Caryopses

about 2 mm, white to yellow-brown.

2n

= 20, 58, 70, 80.

= 40, 60.

Paspalum laeve

Paspalum conspersum

Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
GA; TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Paspalum laeve is restricted to the eastern United States. It grows at the edges of forests and in disturbed areas.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Paspalum conspersum is native from Mexico to Argentina, but it has been introduced to the southern United States. It is grown for its forage value, and has become established at scattered locations from Texas to Florida, growing along roadsides and in other disturbed areas.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 25, p. 572. FNA vol. 25, p. 581.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Paniceae > Paspalum Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Paniceae > Paspalum
Sibling taxa
P. acuminatum, P. almum, P. bifidum, P. blodgettii, P. boscianum, P. caespitosum, P. conjugatum, P. conspersum, P. convexum, P. coryphaeum, P. dilatatum, P. dissectum, P. distichum, P. fimbriatum, P. floridanum, P. hartwegianum, P. intermedium, P. langei, P. laxum, P. lividum, P. malacophyllum, P. minus, P. modestum, P. monostachyum, P. nicorae, P. notatum, P. paniculatum, P. pleostachyum, P. plicatulum, P. praecox, P. pubiflorum, P. quadrifarium, P. racemosum, P. repens, P. scrobiculatum, P. setaceum, P. unispicatum, P. urvillei, P. vaginatum, P. virgatum, P. virletii, P. wrightii
P. acuminatum, P. almum, P. bifidum, P. blodgettii, P. boscianum, P. caespitosum, P. conjugatum, P. convexum, P. coryphaeum, P. dilatatum, P. dissectum, P. distichum, P. fimbriatum, P. floridanum, P. hartwegianum, P. intermedium, P. laeve, P. langei, P. laxum, P. lividum, P. malacophyllum, P. minus, P. modestum, P. monostachyum, P. nicorae, P. notatum, P. paniculatum, P. pleostachyum, P. plicatulum, P. praecox, P. pubiflorum, P. quadrifarium, P. racemosum, P. repens, P. scrobiculatum, P. setaceum, P. unispicatum, P. urvillei, P. vaginatum, P. virgatum, P. virletii, P. wrightii
Synonyms P. longipilum, P. laeve var. pilosum, P. laeve var. circulare, P. laeve var. australe, P. circulare
Name authority Michx. Schrad.
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