Paspalum scrobiculatum L.

First published in Mant. Pl. 1: 29 (1767)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & Subtropical Old World to N. & E. Australia. It is a perennial or annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as animal food, a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and social uses and for food.

Descriptions

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]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/168983/140437396

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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.
[GB]

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.
[UPFC]

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.
[FZ]

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
[FTEA]

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
[CPLC]

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
[UNAL]

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.
[FWTA]

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
[FTEA]

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.
[FWTA]

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 Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Creeping paspalum, Ditch grass, Kodo Millet, Veld paspalum

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
  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • 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 2024. 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 Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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
  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
  • 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