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Home , Panicum

A Quick Reference Guide

to Some Common Invasive Grasses

in Central Florida

By Chris Matson and Lindsay Root, Illustrations Lindsay Root

Copyright © 2009 The Nature Conservancy All Rights Reserved COGONGRASS – Imperata cylindrica - found everywhere except deep open water - colonial , small to big patches - light green, stand out from palmetto and other grass when backlit - flower spikes are singular per stem, narrow and silky, cotton candy like - HOW TO ID o Asymmetrical midrib that is white/light o Widest point on leaf is closer to tip than base o Upright and stiff leaves, can be waist high o Rough when rubbed from tip tobase of the leaves

BAHIAGRASS – Paspalum notatum - found along roadsides and pastures - low growing, sod-forming - toe to ankle high leaves, flowers/seeds knee high - HOW TO ID o pink roots (rhizomes) o two pronged seed head, sometimes three, little or no hair on flowers/seeds o leaves are pointy and can be hairy - Similar species: other Paspalums have slightly different leaves Carpetgrasses have boat-tipped leaves and lots of hair on margins and/or midribs Beaked panicgrass () does not have strikingly pink rhizomes, and has hair on leaves and sheaths often.

VASEYGRASS – Paspalum urvillei - found in wet, or grass/sedge dominated areas - tall plant, 2.5-6 feet - forms colonies of bunches or scattered bunches - HOW TO ID o Fuzzy flowers/seeds in simply branched spike at the top of the stem o Leaves medium long, largely hairless, widest point is nearer tip than the base o Wavy or wrinkly pattern on a portion of the edge of the leaf o Midrib is stiff from the base to about 1/3 length of the leaf o Hairy at the base of a leaf GUINEAGRASS – Panicum maximum - found in disturbed areas where introduced by people - large leaves, bunch forming - stems with chest to knee high leaves - HOW TO ID o Tall openly branching flower/seedheads, rise above leaves, 4-7 feet tall o Flat, bright, smooth green leaves - Looks most like switchgrass () which has pointed spikelets, Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) which has much larger spikelets and awns on spikelets are common, and fall panicgrass ()which has distinctly zigzag stems, lateral stems creeping along ground. BERMUDAGRASS – Cynodon dactylon - found in disturbed areas and near golf courses - toe to ankle high, flowers shin height - creeping and low lying - HOW TO ID: o Mat of grass, creep out of central point o Leaf blades very narrow and blue-green, less than 4 inches long o Flower/seed spikes radiate from stem in groups of 2-6, usually around 4, and are about 0.5-2 inches in length from the center point. - Look alikes: o Crabgrasses ( species) are usually hairy and much bigger-leaved with long flower spikes (3-5 inches) o Carpetgrases ( species) are much bigger leaved o Low panicgrasses ( species) have a panicle rather than forked spikes and many have broader leaves and are generally bunch- formers rather than creeping, continuous mats.

LIMPOGRASS – Hermarthria altissima - found in disturbed, wet, grassy areas - colonial grass with lots of stems - grows densely about waist to head high - HOW TO ID: o Lot of reddish/purplish stem color can be present o Leaves are green or spent-brownish o Stems creep laterally along the ground o Small fine leaves, droopy, o Seeds stacked, resembles a backbone - Looks most like closely related jointtailgrasses (Coelorachis species) which are uncommon to rare and are mostly bunch forming rather than big colonies of rhizomatous tangles. Looks vaguely similar to Kissimmeegrass (Paspalidium geminatum), which is only ankle to waist high and has broad stems, narrow leaves and an ascending habit to each thick stem. See also torpedograss for comparison. ROSE NATALGRASS – Rhychelytrum repens - found in dry, sandy, or gravelly areas, along roadsides and along levees - clump forming - ankle to above knee height - HOW TO ID: o Frosty blue-green hue is common in fresh growth o Early basal sheaths and leaves turn burgundy then die o Leaf blades flat, hairs on the top of blade and not hairy on the bottom o Fluffy seed heads, silky pink and purple, flowers/seeds are branched - Look-alikes include lovegrasses (Eragrostis species) which do not have fuzzy spikelets, instead having multiple florets on each spikelet which look like feathers superficially.

- TORPEDOGRASS – - found in low competition disturbed sites in a variety of open grassy settings and in the edges of marshes and cypress domes - colonial grass - HOW TO ID: o Flower/seed spike branched at the top of stem o Leaves are bluish green, blades narrow, linear, stiffly ascending usually folded lengthwise rather than flat o Stems rigid and round, lean at base, ascending to sometimes upright, toe to knee high o Spread via horizontal stems, spreads in lines at the edge of a colony o Hairs on leaves lower on stem, hairiest where leaf meets the stem - Look-alikes include Paspalum distichum which has a forked inflorescence and floppier leaves, blue maidencane which does not normally have a distinct midrib and has a hairs detectable on leaf margins by backlighting and usually wider, darker leaves. Cutgrass (Leersia hexandra) has leaves that flop over and very thin stems relative to leaf width. See limpograss above for comparison, also. Some lovegrasses have the same color but are bunch-forming grasses not colonial and they have multiple florets on each spikelet rather than a single floret. WRIGHT’S NUT-RUSH – Scleria lacustris, a sedge,not a grass - found in disturbed marsh, seasonally wet pastures, gumpond edges, road ditches, edges of cypress wetlands - are tall from July to November - HOW TO ID: o Distinctly triangular stems, very thick/fleshy o Extremely rough leaves when stroked upward (beware can draw blood) o Strongly striped leaves with red nerves at base o Cross section of leaves resemble a W or M, and are relatively blunt or rounded at the tip o Nutlets turn from brown-green to pale-green to white and are BB sized - Look-alikes are all other nut-rushes (Scleria species) which are not so large, broad-leaved or dangerously rough.