The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

water paspalum

scattered paspalum

Habit Plants annual; aquatic, floating or rhizomatous. Plants perennial; cespitose.
Culms

4-55 cm, erect;

nodes pubescent.

100-200 cm, stout, erect;

nodes glabrous.

Sheaths

glabrous or pubescent;

ligules 1-4 mm;

blades 10-40 cm long, 8-22 mm wide, flat, glabrous or sparsely 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 (7)20-70 racemosely arranged branches;

branches 1.2-9.5 cm, diverging to spreading, occasionally arcuate, disarticulating at maturity;

branch axes 0.7-1.5 mm wide, broadly winged, glabrous, margins scabrous, extending beyond the distal 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

1.1-1.9 mm long, 0.5-0.8 mm wide, solitary, appressed to the branch axes, elliptic, pubescent, white.

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 and lower lemmas veinless;

upper florets 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.

Caryopses

0.8-0.9 mm, translucent, white.

2n

= 20.

= 40, 60.

Paspalum repens

Paspalum conspersum

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

Paspalum repens is a native species that grows along the edges of lakes, streams, and roadside ditches in the southeastern United States. Its range extends through tropical America to Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina.

(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. 571. 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. quadrifarium, P. racemosum, 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. repens var. fluitans, P. fluitans
Name authority P.J. Bergius Schrad.
Web links