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S. halepense is a perennial grass with extensively creeping, fleshy rhizomes which are covered with brown scale-like sheaths, are up to 1 cm in diameter, 2 m in length, and often root from the nodes. The fibrous root system branches freely to depths of 1.2 m. The leaf blades, 20-60 cm long, 1.0-3.3 cm wide, have prominent midribs, are many nerved and hairless with projections on the lower surface and margins. The ribbed, hairless leaf sheaths have open overlapping margins and a membranous ligule with a hairy fringe, 2-5 mm long. Flowering stems are unbranched, 0.5-3.0 m tall, 0.5-2.0 cm in diameter, often with basal adventitious prop roots, nodes sometimes with fine hairs. The inflorescence is a pale green to purplish, hairy, pyramidal, many branched panicle, 15-50 cm long. The primary branches are up to 25 cm long, usually without spikelets for 2-5 cm from the base. The spikelets are usually in pairs but towards the top of the inflorescence they occur in threes, one spikelet of each pair or triplet is sessile and perfect with stamens and a stigma, the others are stalked and sterile or only carry stamens. The fertile spikelets are ovoid, hairy, 4.5-5.5 mm long;awns if present are 1-2 cm long and abruptly bent. The stalked spikelets are narrower, 5-7 mm long. The grain remains enclosed by glumes 4-6.6 mm long, 2-2.6 mm wide, the glumes are reddish brown to shiny black, glossy and finely lined on the surface.

Related invasive species

  • Sorghum halepense

Related Farm Practice

  • Pastures
  • Orchards
Impact

S. halepense is a perennial grass which can be cultivated for fodder, but is also an extremely invasive weed with a worldwide distribution. Its extensive spreading rhizome and shoot system and high rate of seed production make it extremely invasive and difficult to eradicate. The species has a number of detrimental effects including: toxicity to grazing stock, fire risk during summer and competitive exclusion of other plants. It reduces soil fertility, acts as a host for crop pathogens and is a known allergen. It is regarded as a serious weed in 53 countries and in a wide range of field crops.

Has Cabi datasheet ID
50624
Hosts

S. halepense is most commonly a major problem in subtropical crops which are planted in wide rows (cotton, maize, sorghum, soyabean and sugarcane). It can be a problem in closely spaced crops including sugar beet and wheat in warm temperate areas, and also in permanent crops, orchards and pastures.

Oss tagged
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