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paja colorada, paja manse, tussock paspalum

scattered paspalum

Habit Plants perennial; cespitose. Plants perennial; cespitose.
Culms

(50)100-180 cm, erect;

nodes pubescent.

100-200 cm, stout, erect;

nodes glabrous.

Sheaths

pubescent, margins extending into auricles;

ligules 1-6.3 mm;

blades 15-62 cm long, 4.9-6.1 mm wide, involute to flat, glabrous.

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 15-44 racemosely arranged branches;

branches 1.2-8.5 cm, straight, erect to ascending, lower branches longer than those above;

branch axes 0.5-0.6 mm wide, narrowly winged, glabrous, margins scabrous, pubescent, 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

2-2.5(3) mm long, 0.9-1.3 mm wide, paired, divergent to spreading from the branch axes, elliptic, brown to stramineous, often purple-tinged.

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

usually absent, if present, to 0.9 mm, triangular;

upper glumes shortly pubescent, 3-veined, purple-spotted, margins entire;

lower lemmas glabrous or pubescent, lacking ribs over the veins, 3-veined, margins entire;

upper florets 2.2-2.5 mm, white.

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.

2n

= 20, 30, 40.

= 40, 60.

Paspalum quadrifarium

Paspalum conspersum

Distribution
from FNA
MS
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
GA; TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Paspalum quadrifarium is native to Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. It is grown as an ornamental in Florida, but has also become established in disturbed habitats of the southeastern United States. It is considered a noxious weed in New South Wales, Australia.

(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. 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. 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. 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
Name authority Lam. Schrad.
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