Poaceae
Paspalum

Paspalum urvillei Steud.

First published in Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 24 (1853)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Bolivia to Brazil and S. South America. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome. It is used as animal food and a medicine.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms 80-250 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3-5 mm long. Leaf-blades 20-30 cm long; 6-12 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 10-20; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 4-13 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10-20 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; 1 mm wide. Spikelet packing regular; 2-4 -rowed. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; acute; 2-2.8 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; acute; 2-2.8 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 ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; yellow; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume margins ciliate. 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; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined; pilose; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 2 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.
Distribution
Europe: southwestern. Africa: Macaronesia, west tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
Reference
Paniceae. FZ.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial.
Morphology Culms
Culms 80–250 cm. high.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes usually 10–20, borne along an axis 10–20 cm. long, each raceme 4–13 cm. long, the spikelets paired in 2–4 rows on a rhachis c. 1 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 2–2.8 mm. long, 1.2–1.5 mm. wide, ovate, yellowish green.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Superior glume sparsely pilose on the surface, ciliate on the margins.
Superior
Superior glume sparsely pilose on the surface, ciliate on the margins.
[FZ]

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., 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.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Distribution
Naturalised in Colombia.
Habit
Herb.
[UPFC]

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

Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial 1–2 m. high.
[FWTA]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[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

  • 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/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. 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 2025. 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

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

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