Perennial with short rhizomes (a few cm only) and long above-ground runners (up to 2 m long), rooting at each node. Culms solitary or tufted, many-noded, 10-50 cm tall. Leaf sheaths imbricate, often keeled, margins membranous;leaf blades distichous, linear, rather stiffly ascending, 2.5-15 × 0.3-0.8 cm, apex acute;ligule 0.5-1 mm. Inflorescence of (1-)2(-3) racemes arising together at culm apex;racemes 2-5 cm, usually closely approximate when young, later spreading;spikelets single, in 2 rows;rachis 1-2 mm wide. Spikelets pale brownish green, narrowly lanceolate-oblong, strongly flattened, 3.5-4 mm, acute;lower glume absent or rarely a tiny vestige;upper glume thinly papery, weakly 5-veined, midvein often suppressed, glabrous;lower lemma resembling upper glume;upper lemma pale green, 2.5-3 mm, shorter than spikelet, cartilaginous, apex minutely pubescent. Caryopsis narrowly obovate, slightly concavo-convex, 2.5-3 mm long, subacute (Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2016;PIER, 2016).
Related invasive species
- Paspalum vaginatum
Related Farm Practice
- Flora
- Rooting
Paspalum vaginatum, commonly known as seashore paspalum and by many other names, is a species of perennial grass which can be found in wet, saline habitats. Reported to have originated from the Americas, it can be a serious weed of rice in West Africa. In coastal habitats, it can spread at 1-2 m per year and become dominant over native vegetation. In New Zealand, it is of concern having invaded the nesting areas of the endangered New Zealand fairy tern (Sterna nereis), threatening a range of uncommon or endangered plant species, and possibly affecting fish breeding. PIER (2016) assesses it as a 'High Risk' species (score 7) for the Pacific islands and confirms it as invasive in Hawaii (on golf courses) and the Marshall Islands, also on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. In Spain it is classed as a species with ‘clear invasive behaviour;dangerous (causing ecological damage or alteration) for natural ecosystems’ (Dana et al., 2007). Similarly it is regarded as a threat to native vegetation in California, USA (Riefner and Columbus, 2008).
In many regions, P. vaginatum is a serious weed of rice, especially in saline and brackish soils (Bernard, 1988;Terry, 1981).