Paspalum dilatatum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus: Paspalum
Species:
P. dilatatum
Binomial name
Paspalum dilatatum

Paspalum dilatatum is a species of grass known by the common name dallisgrass,[1] Dallas grass, or sticky heads. It is native to Brazil and Argentina, but it is known throughout the world as an introduced species and at times a common weed. Its rapid growth and spreading rhizomes make it an invasive pest in some areas.[2] It is present in the southern half of North America, southern Europe, much of Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and many tropical and subtropical areas.

Paspalum dilatatum is a food source for several avian species, including the long-tailed widowbird.

The common name dallisgrass was derived from A. T. Dallis, a 19th-century farmer who grew the species extensively near La Grange, Georgia.[3]

Description

This is a perennial bunch grass forming dense, stiff clumps in the soil and spreading outward. It grows decumbent in a mat or erect to well over 1 m (3 ft) tall. The leaves are mostly hairless, growing up to 35 cm (14 in) long and 2.5 cm (1 in) wide. The inflorescence is divided into a few branches lined neatly with beadlike pairs of green to purple spikelets.


References

  1. ↑ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Paspalum dilatatum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "UC Davis Dallisgrass Pest Notes". Archived from the original on 2010-06-11. Retrieved 2009-12-13.
  3. ↑ Hitchcock, Albert S. (1971). Manual of the grasses of the United States, Volume 2. Dover Publications. p. 615.
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