Poaceae
Paspalum

Paspalum distichum L.

First published in Syst. Nat., ed. 10. 2: 855 (1759)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is U.S.A. to Tropical & Subtropical America. It is a rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as animal food, a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Descriptions

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 500 m.; Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/169030/1266611

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
grama blanca
[UNAL]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–500 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Meta, Tolima.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; mat forming. Stolons present. Culms decumbent; 8-60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 3-14 cm long; 3-7 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 2(-3); paired; unilateral; 2-8 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular. Spikelet packing abaxial; regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; turgidly plano-convex; acute; 3-4 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; turgidly plano-convex; acute; 3-4 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two (rarely); reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume when present ovate; 0.1-0.2 length of spikelet; hyaline; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 3 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 2.5 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate.
Distribution
Europe: southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, southern tropical, south, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern and north-central. North America: northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
Reference
Paniceae. FZ.
[GB]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Creeping stoloniferous perennial.
Morphology Culms
Culms 8–60 cm. high.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes paired (rarely 3), each 2–8 cm. long, the spikelets borne singly in 2 rows on a rhachis 1–2 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3–4 mm. long, ovate, plump, green.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Inferior glume present on at least some spikelets as a tiny scale. Superior glume somewhat coriaceous, nearly always obscurely pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma
Inferior lemma somewhat coriaceous. Superior lemma pallid at maturity.
[FZ]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0