Paspalum plicatulum

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Common name: Brownseed paspalum[1]

Paspalum plicatulum
Paspalum plicatulum AFP.jpg
Photo by Betty Wargo hosted at Atlas of Florida Plants
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants
Class: Liliopsida - Moncots
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Paspalum
Species: P. plicatulum
Binomial name
Paspalum plicatulum
Michx.
PASP PLIC DIST.JPG
Natural range of Paspalum plicatulum from USDA NRCS Plants Database.

Taxonomic Notes

Synonyms: none.[2]

Varieties: none.[2]

Description

P. plicatulum is a cespitose, perennial graminoid of the Poaceae family native to North America, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.[1] The culms are 4-7 dm tall with glabrous nodes and internodes. The blades are 15 cm long, 1-4 mm wide, usually involute, glabrous on both surfaces, and basally pilose. The sheaths are glabrous, have scarious margins, and 2 mm long ligules. There are 2-3 racemes that are racemose, ascending, and 3-5 cm long. The rachis wing is scaberulous and 1 mm wide. Spikelets are ellipsoid, obtuse, 2.5-2.8 mm long, and grow in 2 rows with 2 abortive rows.[3]

Distribution

P. plicatulum is found along the southeastern coast of the United States from Texas to South Carolina, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.[1]

Ecology

Habitat

P. plicatulum proliferates in pine savannas and fields.[4] Specimens have been collected from sandhill communities, sand-oak woodlands, pine flatwoods, swamp clearings, full sun woodlands, pine flatwoods, lakeshores, roadside shoulders, savannas, longleaf pine forests, riverbanks, floodplains, wiregrass sandhills, and grassy clearing with loamy sands.[5]

Phenology

P. plicatulum has been observed flowering in May through July.[6]

Fire ecology

P. plicatulum is not fire resistant, but has medium fire tolerance[1]; despite this, populations have been known to persist through repeated annual burning.[7][8]

Pollination and use by animals

P. plicatulum has high palatability for browsing and grazing animals.[1] This species functions as forage for cattle in the late summer and winter, and is heavily grazed along ditches and wet sites.[9]

Conservation, cultivation, and restoration

Cultural use

Photo Gallery

References and notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 USDA Plant Database https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=PAPL3
  2. 2.0 2.1 Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-atlantic states. Working Draft of 21 May 2015. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
  3. Radford, A. E., Ahles, H. E., & Bell, C. R. (1968). Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
  4. Weakley, A. S. (2015). Flora of the Southern and Mid-Atlantic States. Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina Herbarium.
  5. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2018. Collectors: Cecil Slaughter, Marc Minno, Loran C. Anderson, Jake Gruis, R.K. Godfrey, Angus Gholson, R.F> Doren, H. Kurz, Wilson Baker, Sidney McDaniel,R.A. Pursell, R. Kral, J.B. McFarlin, R.E. Perue, R. Komarek, Kurt Blum, Ed Tyson, J.S. McCorkle, J. Dwyer, H. Loftin, William Stimson, J.A. Duke, R>L. Lazor, A.F. Clewell, Annie Schmidt, Ann Johnson, John Kunzer. States and counties: Florida (Clay, Leon, Orange, Calhoun, Gadsden, Wakulla, Franklin, Washington, Walton, Jackson, Santa Rosa, Liberty, Union, Nassau, Levy, Citrus, Holmes, Lee, Gulf) Alabama (Crenshaw) Georgia (Grady, Thomas)
  6. Nelson, G. PanFlora: Plant data for the eastern United States with emphasis on the Southeastern Coastal Plains, Florida, and the Florida Panhandle. www.gilnelson.com/PanFlora/ Accessed: 24 MAY 2018
  7. Glitzenstein, J. S., D. R. Streng, R. E. Masters, K. M. Robertson and S. M. Hermann 2012. Fire-frequency effects on vegetation in north Florida pinelands: Another look at the long-term Stoddard Fire Research Plots at Tall Timbers Research Station. Forest Ecology and Management 264: 197-209.
  8. Platt, W.J., R. Carter, G. Nelson, W. Baker, S. Hermann, J. Kane, L. Anderson, M. Smith, K. Robertson. 2021. Unpublished species list of Wade Tract old-growth longleaf pine savanna, Thomasville, Georgia.
  9. Byrd, Nathan A. (1980). "Forestland Grazing: A Guide For Service Foresters In The South." U.S. Department of Agriculture.