The following description is from Flora of China Editorial Committee (2017)
Related invasive species
- Paspalum dilatatum
Related Farm Practice
- Flora
- Hosts
Paspalum dilatatum is a perennial grass native to South America that has been introduced into tropical and subtropical areas as a forage species/fodder. It is reported as invasive in Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Hawaii, American Samoa, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Solomon Islands and the Minor Outlying Islands. In Hawaii and New Zealand, it forms dense stands that smother and prevent recruitment of native species.
P. dilatatum is reported as a weed of cultivation and is sometimes present in rice fields (Heuzé et al., 2015;Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2017). When the species is infected by the ergot fungus, Claviceps paspali, it becomes toxic to animals that feed on it (FAO, 2017;PROTA, 2017;USDA-ARS, 2017).