Paspalum scrobiculatum L.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; mat forming, or caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10-150 cm long; 1-6 mm diam.; 2-17 -noded; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base simple. Leaf-blades 5-40 cm long; 3-15 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 1-20; digitate, or borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2-15 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0-8 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; with sharp-edged midrib; 1-2.5 mm wide. Spikelet packing abaxial; regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate, or orbicular; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; obtuse; 1.4-3 mm long; falling entire.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate, or orbicular; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; obtuse; 1.4-3 mm long; falling entire.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; without keels; 5-7 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

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; chartaceous; 3-5 -veined; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic, or orbicular; gibbous; indurate; dark brown; dull; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

Distribution

Africa: Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: northeast USA, south-central USA, and southeast USA. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

Reference

Paniceae. FTEA.

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 0–1000 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Tolima.

Habit

Herb.

Conservation

IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial.

Morphology Culms

Culms 10–150 cm. high, 1–6 mm. in diam., the nodes mostly exposed, erect or ascending from a decumbent base and rooting at the nodes below.

Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina

Leaf laminae 5–40 cm. long, 3–15 mm. wide, linear, tapering to a filiform apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes 1–20, digitate or borne on an axis up to 8 cm. long, the longest raceme 4–15 cm. long, the spikelets borne singly on a rhachis 1–2.5 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 1.4–3 mm. long, broadly elliptic to subrotund, green becoming brown.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Inferior glume absent.

Inferior

Inferior glume absent. Inferior lemma papery or rarely coriaceous, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma

Inferior lemma papery or rarely coriaceous, glabrous. Superior lemma brown at maturity.

Superior

Superior lemma brown at maturity.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; culms 10–150 cm. high, 1–6 mm. in diameter, 2–17-noded, the nodes commonly exposed, erect, or ascending from a decumbent base and rooting at the lower nodes.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades linear, 5–40 cm. long, 3–15 mm. wide, tapering to a filiform tip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of 1–20 racemes, these digitate or borne on an axis up to 8 cm. long, the longest raceme 4–15 cm. long, with spikelets borne singly on a ribbon-like rhachis 1–2.5 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets broadly elliptic, obovate or suborbicu-lar, 1.4–3 mm. long, green becoming brown; lower glume absent; upper glume papery; lower lemma similar or rarely coriaceous, 3–5-nerved (in the latter case the nerves evenly spaced or the laterals close together); upper lemma finely striate, brown at maturity.

Figures

Fig. 142.

Habitat

A weedy species, usually associated with some degree of trampling, grazing or cultivation; flourishing on damp soils or in light shade, though not confined to these; 0–2900 m.

Distribution

throughout the Old World tropics K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 P T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

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

Naturalizada y adventicia en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 1000 m.; Andes, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

Conservation

No Evaluada

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

paja peluda

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit

Culms erect or geniculate and rooting at the lower nodes, up to 1·5 m. high, 4–5 mm. diam. at the base

Ecology

Marshy places.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; culms stout, 90–200 cm. high, 3–7 mm. in diameter, leafy with the sheaths overlapping and concealing the nodes, ascending, rooting at the lower nodes.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades narrowly lanceolate, 8–30 cm. long, 8–27 mm. wide, often broadly rounded at the base, acute at the tip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of 2–11 racemes on a common axis up to 9 cm. long, each raceme 4–12 cm. long, the spikelets borne singly in 2 rows on a ribbon-like rhachis 2–3 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets broadly elliptic to rotund, 2–2.7 mm. long, brown; upper glume and lower lemma papery, or quite often the latter indurated; upper lemma finely striate, brown at maturity.

Habitat

Damp places and forest margins; 50–2000 m.

Distribution

westwards to Senegal, south to Angola and Zimbabwe K5 K7 T1 T3 T4 T6 T7 T8 U2 U3 U4

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Diagnostic

A very variable grass, distinguished (perhaps arbitrarily) from P. orbiculare by its robust habit with large inflorescences and stout stems rooting at the nodes, but there are many intermediate forms

Ecology

Wet places.