Paspalum repens |
Paspalum conspersum |
|
---|---|---|
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 |
GA; TX |
|
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 | ||
Synonyms | P. repens var. fluitans, P. fluitans | |
Name authority | P.J. Bergius | Schrad. |
Web links |