Paspalum dilatatum

Paspalum dilatatum
Scientific 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; Poir.

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

^ NRCS. "Paspalum dilatatum". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 31 January 2016.
^ "UC Davis Dallisgrass Pest Notes". Archived from the original on 2010-06-11. Retrieved 2009-12-13.
^ Hitchcock, Albert S. (1971). Manual of the grasses of the United States, Volume 2. Dover Publications. p. 615.

External links

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[1] NRCS. "Paspalum dilatatum". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 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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