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Scientific Name
Family
Common Names
Origin
Cultivation
Naturalised Distribution
Habitat
Habit
Distinguishing Features
Stems and Leaves
Flowers and Fruit
Reproduction and Dispersal
Environmental Impact
Legislation
Management
Similar Species
Notes
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Click on images to enlarge

dense infestation (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

habit growing in a lawn (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

leaves and exposed old rhizomes (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

seed-head with several branches (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of flower spikelets (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

mature seed-head (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of mature flower spikelets (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

close-up of seeds (Photo: Steve Hurst at USDA PLANTS Database)

a fungus known as "ergot" often infests the seed-heads of this species (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

Paspalum dilatatum

Scientific Name

Paspalum dilatatum Poir.

Family

Gramineae (South Australia)
Poaceae (Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory)

Common Names

bastard millet grass, caterpillar grass, common paspalum, Dallis grass, Dallisgrass, golden crown grass, hairy flowered paspalum, large watergrass, large waterseed paspalum, Leichhardt grass, paspalum, paspalum grass, water grass, water paspalum, watergrass

Origin

Native to South America (i.e. Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay).

Cultivation

Occasionally cultivated as a pasture grass.

Naturalised Distribution

A very widespread introduced species that is mostly found in the southern and eastern parts of Australia. It is common in eastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, south-eastern South Australia and south-western Western Australia. Less common or occasionally naturalised in the southern and north-western parts of the Northern Territory, and in the inland parts of Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. Also naturalised on Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.

Widely naturalised in other parts of the world, including southern Europe, tropical and southern Africa, Asia, the Mascarenes (i.e. Mauritius, La Reunion and Rodrigues), New Zealand, the USA and many Pacific islands (i.e. Hawaii, American Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Niue and the Solomon Islands).

Habitat

A very common weed of gardens, lawns, footpaths, parks, roadsides, disturbed sites, waste areas, closed forests, open woodlands, crops and pastures in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate regions.

Habit

A long-lived (i.e. perennial) grass usually growing up to 1 m tall, but occasionally reaching up to 1.5 m in height. It forms large clumps via short creeping underground stems (i.e. rhizomes).

Distinguishing Features

Stems and Leaves

The flowering stems (i.e. culms) are sometimes branched near the base and their joints (i.e. nodes) are usually hairless (i.e. glabrous).

The leaves consist of a leaf sheath, which partially encloses the stem, and a spreading leaf blade. The leaf sheaths are hairless (i.e. glabrous), although sometimes the sheaths of lower leaves have a few long hairs (i.e. they are sparsely pilose). The leaf blades (6-45 cm long and 3-12 mm wide) are slightly folded at the base and are usually hairless (i.e. glabrous) with rough (i.e. scabrous) margins.

Flowers and Fruit

The seed-heads are up to 25 cm long and have 2-11 branches (i.e. racemes) that are alternatively arranged along a main stalk. The branches (2.5-11 cm long) contain numerous flower spikelets that are borne in pairs, and appear to be arranged in four rows. These flower spikelets are covered with hairs and consist of a pair of bracts (i.e. glumes) and two tiny flowers (i.e. florets), only one of which produces a seed. Flowering occurs mainly during spring and summer.

The seeds (i.e. caryopses or grains) are oval (i.e. elliptic) in shape and 3-4 mm long. They are shed still contained within the remains of the flower spikelets.

Reproduction and Dispersal

This species reproduces mainly by seed, which are dispersed by wind, water, animals, vehicles, machinery, and in contaminated soil and agricultural produce.

Environmental Impact

Paspalum (Paspalum dilatatum) is regarded as an environmental weed in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia.

Legislation

Not declared or considered noxious by any state government authorities.

Management

For information on the management of this species see the following resources:

Similar Species

Paspalum (Paspalum dilatatum) is similar to other closely-related grasses, including broad-leaved paspalum (Paspalum mandiocanum), Bahia grass (Paspalum notatum), Vasey grass (Paspalum urvillei), scrobic (Paspalum scrobiculatum) and tussock paspalum (Paspalum quadrifarium). These species can be distinguished by the following differences:

Notes