Paspalum scrobiculatum (ricegrass paspalum)
Index
- Pictures
- Identity
- Summary of Invasiveness
- Taxonomic Tree
- Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Description
- Plant Type
- Distribution
- Distribution Table
- History of Introduction and Spread
- Habitat
- Habitat List
- Host Plants and Other Plants Affected
- Rainfall
- Soil Tolerances
- Pathway Vectors
- Plant Trade
- Impact Summary
- Impact
- Risk and Impact Factors
- Uses
- Uses List
- Similarities to Other Species/Conditions
- References
- Links to Websites
- Distribution Maps
Don't need the entire report?
Generate a print friendly version containing only the sections you need.
Generate reportPictures
Top of pageIdentity
Top of pagePreferred Scientific Name
- Paspalum scrobiculatum L.
Preferred Common Name
- ricegrass paspalum
Other Scientific Names
- Paspalum akoense Hay.
- Paspalum auriculatum
- Paspalum barbatum Schum.
- Paspalum cartilagineum var. horneri
- Paspalum commersonii Lam.
- Paspalum horneri var. lanceolatum
- Paspalum lamprocaryon
- Paspalum orbiculare Forst.
- Paspalum polystachyum R. Br.
- Paspalum zollingeri var. bispicatum
International Common Names
- English: creeping paspalum; ditch millet; Indian paspalum; kodo; kodo millet; rice grass; scrobic; water couch
- Spanish: mijo koda
- French: herbe à épée
Local Common Names
- Germany: Kodahirse
- India: arika; haraka; kodra
- India/Madhya Pradesh: kondon
- India/Tamil Nadu: varagu
- Japan: suzumenokobie
EPPO code
- PASSC (Paspalum scrobiculatum)
Summary of Invasiveness
Top of page P. scrobiculata is a common weed in the tropics. It is listed as a noxious weed by USDA-APHIS (USDA-ARS, 2003) but is not widely considered to be highly invasive. It is not considered an environmental invasive on Pacific Islands (PIER, 2004).Taxonomic Tree
Top of page- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Spermatophyta
- Subphylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Monocotyledonae
- Order: Cyperales
- Family: Poaceae
- Genus: Paspalum
- Species: Paspalum scrobiculatum
Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature
Top of page Clayton and Renvoize (1982) comment that P. scrobiculatum is 'a polymorphic species, but with variation apparently quite continuous; possibly a swarm of apomicts.' Some of the variants were given specific status until quite recently with P. scrobiculatum (s.s.) representing the erect annual form sometimes used as a crop, P. commersonii and P. orbiculare the more weedy perennial forms, and P. polystachyum, a particularly robust form.Description
Top of page P. scrobiculatum is a tufted annual or perennial grass up to 150 cm tall. Culms stout, erect, glabrous, somewhat bulbous at base, sheaths 7-14 cm long, glabrous or with sparse hairs at the collar, compressed, basal ones often purplish; ligule very short, 1 mm, membranous, but with a dense row of hairs just behind it; blades flat, 12-40 cm long, 3-12 mm wide, acute, scabrous, glaucous on upper surface. Inflorescence has four to six racemes, these are 2-4 cm long, alternate, distant, their axis 4-9 cm long, villous at base, sometimes pilose in the axils. Rachis 1-1.5 mm wide, scabrous, usually reddish on the margins; spikelets paired, 2-2.5 mm long, broadly elliptic, imbricate, glabrous. Second glume and sterile lemma 3-nerved. Fertile lemma indurated, finely pitted; caryopsis 1.5 mm long, compressed-elliptic, pale (Stone, 1970).Distribution
Top of page This species is found throughout the Paleotropics and in south-eastern USA (USDA-ARS, 2003). It is widely cultivated in India, which is probably its centre of origin. It is native to Africa, tropical Asia and Australia. The distribution in the Pacific is given in PIER (2004).Distribution Table
Top of pageThe distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.
History of Introduction and Spread
Top of page P. scrobiculatum has been introduced to many parts of the world as an agricultural crop either as a grain crop or as a pasture species.Habitat
Top of page P. scrobiculatum is a common weed of wastelands and fields in the tropics. Usually found in exposed areas, but tolerant of shade. In Fiji it is abundant at elevations up to 1300 m (Smith, 1979). In Hawaii it is common on slopes in poor soils where few other grasses will grow, and in wet, swampy ground up to 1100 m (Wagner et al., 1999).Habitat List
Top of pageCategory | Sub-Category | Habitat | Presence | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Terrestrial | ||||
Terrestrial – Managed | Cultivated / agricultural land | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | |
Protected agriculture (e.g. glasshouse production) | Present, no further details | |||
Managed forests, plantations and orchards | Present, no further details | |||
Managed forests, plantations and orchards | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
Managed grasslands (grazing systems) | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
Disturbed areas | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
Rail / roadsides | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
Urban / peri-urban areas | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
Terrestrial ‑ Natural / Semi-natural | Natural forests | Present, no further details | ||
Natural grasslands | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
Riverbanks | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
Wetlands | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | ||
Littoral | ||||
Coastal areas | Present, no further details |
Host Plants and Other Plants Affected
Top of pagePlant name | Family | Context |
---|---|---|
Corchorus olitorius (jute) | Tiliaceae | Main |
Rainfall
Top of pageParameter | Lower limit | Upper limit | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Mean annual rainfall | 0 | 0 | mm; lower/upper limits |
Soil Tolerances
Top of pageSoil drainage
- free
- impeded
- seasonally waterlogged
Soil reaction
- acid
- alkaline
- neutral
Soil texture
- heavy
- light
- medium
Special soil tolerances
- infertile
- shallow
Plant Trade
Top of pagePlant parts liable to carry the pest in trade/transport | Pest stages | Borne internally | Borne externally | Visibility of pest or symptoms |
---|---|---|---|---|
Flowers/Inflorescences/Cones/Calyx | seeds | |||
Growing medium accompanying plants | seeds | |||
True seeds (inc. grain) | seeds |
Impact Summary
Top of pageCategory | Impact |
---|---|
Animal/plant collections | None |
Animal/plant products | None |
Biodiversity (generally) | Negative |
Crop production | Negative |
Environment (generally) | Negative |
Fisheries / aquaculture | None |
Forestry production | Negative |
Human health | None |
Livestock production | Negative |
Native fauna | None |
Native flora | Negative |
Rare/protected species | None |
Tourism | None |
Trade/international relations | None |
Transport/travel | None |
Impact
Top of page Holm et al. (1991) record this species (as 'P. scrobiculatum') as a 'serious' weed in India, the Philippines, Senegal, Taiwan and Thailand, and as a 'principal' weed in Côte d'Ivoire, Korea and Mauritius; also (as 'P. orbiculare') as a 'serious' weed in Ghana; and (as 'P. commersonii') as a 'principal' weed in Malaysia, Nigeria and Swaziland.Risk and Impact Factors
Top of page Invasiveness- Invasive in its native range
- Proved invasive outside its native range
- Highly adaptable to different environments
- Tolerates, or benefits from, cultivation, browsing pressure, mutilation, fire etc
- Has high reproductive potential
- Has propagules that can remain viable for more than one year
- Negatively impacts agriculture
- Reduced native biodiversity
- Competition - monopolizing resources
- Pest and disease transmission
- Highly likely to be transported internationally accidentally
- Difficult to identify/detect as a commodity contaminant
Uses
Top of page Widely cultivated as a minor millet in Africa and Asia, especially India (Senthivel et al., 1994; Anon., 1996; Ramasamy et al., 1996). Also used for forage (Bisset et al., 1974; Kitamura and Nada, 1986; Su and Lin, 1994; Compere et al., 1995) and as a feed supplement (Kapoor et al., 1987). In India, it has been used as a substrate for mushroom production (Kumar and Chandra, 1998) and for medicinal purposes (Roy and Pal, 1994).Uses List
Top of pageAnimal feed, fodder, forage
- Fodder/animal feed
- Forage
Human food and beverage
- Cereal
Materials
- Poisonous to mammals
Medicinal, pharmaceutical
- Traditional/folklore
Similarities to Other Species/Conditions
Top of page Often found in association with P. conjugatum but distinguished from it by the tufted habit and more compact flower head.References
Top of pageAnon., 1996. Lost Crops of Africa. Volume 1: Grains. Washington DC, USA: National Academy Press.
Baghel MS; Yadva HS; Tomar; MS; Verma; SNP, 1991. Intercropping of pulse and oil seeds with kodo millet in dryland. Bhartiya Krishi Anusandhan Patrika, 6(1):34-38.
Bisset WJ; Marlowe GWC, 1974. Productivity and dynamics of two Siratro based pastures in the Burnett coastal foothills of south east Queensland. Tropical Grasslands, 8(1):17-24.
Christopher J; Raj PS; Pillai KG, 1987. Cytomorphological studies of three species of Paspalum Linn. from South India. Cytologia, 52(3):487-491.
Clayton WD; Renvoize SA, 1982. Gramineae (Part 3). In: Polhill RM, ed. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Rotterdam, Netherlands: Balkema.
Dubey RK; Shukla RS; Dubey N, 1994. Association analysis in gamma treated kodo millet cv. JNK115. Journal of Soils and Crops, 4(2):113-116.
EPPO, 2014. PQR database. Paris, France: European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization. http://www.eppo.int/DATABASES/pqr/pqr.htm
Gupta SP; Narain U; Mohit Singh; Shukla TN, 1982. A new leaf blight of 'kondon' (Paspalum scrobiculatum L.) from India. National Academy Science Letters, 5(2):41
Holm GL; Pancho JV; Herberger JP; Plucknett DL, 1991. A Geographical Atlas of World Weeds. Krieger, Malabar, Florida.
Hurt CR; Hardy MB; Tainton; NM, 1993. Identification of key grass species under grazing in the Highland Sourveld of Natal. African Journal of Range and Forage Science, 10(2): 96-102.
Kapoor PN; Netke SP; Bajpai LD, 1987. Indian Journal of Animal Nutrition, 4(2):83-88.
Kitamura M; Nada Y, 1986. Preliminary evaluation of 24 tropical grasses introduced into sub-tropical Japan. Journal of Japanese Society of Grassland Science, 32(3):278-280.
Kumar S; Chandra KD, 1988. Studies on the utilization of rice bran for spawn production of Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Sing. Indian Journal of Mushrooms, 14(1-2):10-15.
Nema AG; Kulkarni SN; Pall BS, 1979. Bacterial leaf streak of kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum L.). Science and Culture, 45(9):365-366
Noltie HJ, 2000. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim and Darjeeling. Volume 3 Part 2. The Grasses of Bhutan. Edinburgh, UK: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Royal Government of Bhutan.
Onkar Singh; Sharma RP; Singh RP; Singh D, 1984. Effect of sowing dates on the incidence of shootfly (Atherigona simplex) and yield of some improved kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum) strains. Bulletin of Entomology, 25(1):22-26.
PIER, 2004. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. http://www.hear.org/pier/.
Ramasamy M; Vairavan K; Srinivasan K, 1996. Production potential and economics of cereal based cropping system in red lateritic soils of Pudukkottai district. Madras Agricultural Journal, 83(4):236-239.
Sastry MS; Singh YP; Jain VK, 1975. Kodo poisoning in animals [Paspalum scrobiculatum]. Indian Journal of Animal Health, 14(2):183-184.
Senthivel S; Solaiappan U; Subramanian S, 1994. Agricultural Science Digest, Karnal, 14(3-4):197-200.
Smith AC, 1979. Flora Vitiensis nova: A new flora of Fiji. Volume I. Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii, USA: National Tropical Botanical Garden, 494 pp.
Stone BC, 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:218.
Su SJ; Lin JR, 1994. Report on pratacultural system engineering of hilly land in Fujian Province, China. Pratacultural Science, 11(1):38-41.
USDA-ARS, 2003. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online Database. Beltsville, Maryland, USA: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysearch.aspx
USDA-NRCS, 2003. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, USA. http://plants.usda.gov.
Wagner WL; Herbst DR; Sohmer SH, 1999. Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii, Revised ed. Honolulu, USA: University of Hawaii Press.
Yadava HS; Ahmad MS; Singh SB, 1996. Phenotypic stability for grain yield and fodder yield in Kodo-millet. Crop Research Hisar, 12(3): 343-348.
Links to Websites
Top of pageWebsite | URL | Comment |
---|---|---|
GISD/IASPMR: Invasive Alien Species Pathway Management Resource and DAISIE European Invasive Alien Species Gateway | https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m93f6 | Data source for updated system data added to species habitat list. |
Distribution Maps
Top of pageUnsupported Web Browser:
One or more of the features that are needed to show you the maps functionality are not available in the web browser that you are using.
Please consider upgrading your browser to the latest version or installing a new browser.
More information about modern web browsers can be found at http://browsehappy.com/