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Paspalum dilatatum

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Species of grass

Paspalum dilatatum
Scientific classification Edit this 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, 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. 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.

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

  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.

External links

Taxon identifiers
Paspalum dilatatum


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