Paspalum notatum

Flüggé
Common names: Bahiagrass
Introduced
Synonyms: Paspalum notatum var. latiflorum Doll Paspalum notatum var. saurae Parodi
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 575.

Plants perennial; rhizomatous. Culms 20-110 cm, erect; nodes glabrous. Sheaths glabrous or pubescent; ligules 0.2-0.5 mm; blades 5-31 cm long, 2-10 mm wide, flat or conduplicate, glabrous or pubescent. Panicles terminal, usually composed of a digitate pair of branches, 1-3 additional branches sometimes present below the terminal pair; branches 3-15 cm, diverging to erect; branch axes 0.7-1.8 mm wide, narrowly winged, glabrous, margins scabrous, terminating in a spikelet, distal spikelets sometimes reduced. Spikelets 2.5-4 mm long, 2-2.8 mm wide, solitary, appressed to the branch axes, broadly elliptic to ovate or obovate, glabrous, light stramineous to white, apices obtuse to broadly acute. Lower glumes absent; upper glumes glabrous, 5-veined; lower lemmas 5-veined, margins inrolled; upper florets light yellow to white. Caryopses 2-3 mm, white. 2n = 20, 30, 40.

Distribution

Tenn., N.J., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Okla., Miss., Tex., La., Calif., N.C., Ala., Ark., Pacific Islands (Hawaii), S.C., Va., Ill., Ga., Fla.

Discussion

Paspalum notatum is native from Mexico through the Caribbean and Central America to Brazil and northern Argentina. It was introduced to the United States for forage, turf, and erosion control. It is now established, generally being found in disturbed areas and at the edges of forests in the southeastern United States.

Paspalum notatum is sometimes treated as having distinct varieties. They are not recognized here because the variation among them is continuous. A number of cultivars have been developed for use as turf grasses; among these cultivars are 'Common Bahiagrass', 'Pensacola Bahiagrass', and 'Argentine Bahiagrass'.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Paspalum notatum"
40 +, 30 +  and 20 +
obtuse +  and broadly acute +
anatomy +  and kranz +
Charles M. Allen +  and David W. Hall +
Flüggé +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
divergent +  and parallel +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
membranous +
disarticulating +  and pseudopetiolate +
non-radiate +  and radiate +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (31 cm310 mm <br />0.31 m <br />) +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
usually linear +  and lanceolate occasionally ovate +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.7mm +  and 1.8mm +
diverging;erect +
additional +
spikelike +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
not developed +
ringlike +
orbicular +  and elliptical planoconvex or flattened +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
sometimes longer +
Bahiagrass +
branched +  and solid +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (110 cm1,100 mm <br />1.1 m <br />) +
Tenn. +, N.J. +, Puerto Rico +, Virgin Islands +, Okla. +, Miss. +, Tex. +, La. +, Calif. +, N.C. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Pacific Islands (Hawaii) +, S.C. +, Va. +, Ill. +, Ga. +  and Fla. +
capillary +
germination +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
compressed +  and terete +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
unequal +
membranous +
uncinate +
bracteate +  and ebracteate +
solid +  and hollow +
cauline +  and basal +
coriaceous +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
complex +  and simple +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
subterranean +
spreading +  and erect +
1 +  and 3 +
dry +  and fleshy +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
Introduced +
subsessile +  and shortly pedicellate +
paired +  and not solitary +
light stramineous +  and white +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
1 +  and 60 +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
broadly elliptic +  and ovate or obovate +
2mm +  and 2.8mm +
1 +  and 3 +
fused +  and free +
2 +  and 3 +
dome--shaped +  and triangular +
Paspalum notatum var. latiflorum +  and Paspalum notatum var. saurae +
Paspalum notatum +
Paspalum +
species +
membranous +
stipitate +  and sessile +
rounded +  and acute +
stramineous +  and dark-brown +
smooth +  and slightly rugose +
smooth +  and slightly rugose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
dioecious +, monoecious +  and synoecious +