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Useful Tropical Plants

Paspalum dilatatum

Poir.

Poaceae

+ Synonyms

Digitaria dilatata (Poir.) Coste

Panicum platense (Spreng.) Kuntze

Paspalum eriophorum Schult. & Schult.f.

Paspalum lanatum Spreng.

Paspalum moluccanum Huber

Paspalum ovatum Nees ex Trin.

Paspalum pedunculare J.Presl

Paspalum platense Spreng.

Paspalum selloi Spreng. ex Nees

Common Name:

Paspalum dilatatum
Plant growing amongst shorter grasses
Photograph by: Harry Rose
Creative Commons License
Paspalum dilatatum Paspalum dilatatum Paspalum dilatatum Paspalum dilatatum Paspalum dilatatum Paspalum dilatatum

General Information

Paspalum dilatatum is a clump-forming, perennial grass with clustered stems arising from very short, creeping rhizomes. The stems are erect to ascending, growing 30 - 180cm tall and producing new roots at the nodes when in contact with the soil. The roots can descend as much as 120cm into the soil[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
The plant is grown to stabilize soils and prevent erosion.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References


Range

S. America - Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia

Habitat

Found in moist grassland, occupying different topographic positions, which are subject to various regimes of flooding and drought, both of which may occur in the same growing season[
415
Title
Tropical Forages
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/index.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Mainly focussed on forage plants, the site gives a lot of information on the plant, with a good botanical description, details of cultivation, plant uses and a good selection of photographs.
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Other Uses Rating *  *  *
HabitPerennial
Height1.00 m
PollinatorsWind
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Paspalum dilatatum grows best in the subtropical zone in regions without a dry season, or with only one or two monhs without rain. It is often cultivated and can succeed from the tropics to the warmer parts of the temperate zone; it can be found at elevations up to 2,300 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 30°c, but can tolerate 13 - 36°c[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. It is one of the most frost tolerant subtropical grasses and, when dormant, its deep root system can survive temperatures down to about -10°c, although young growth can be severely damaged at -3°c[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 900 - 1,300mm, but tolerates 750 - 1,700mm[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
].
Prefers a position in full sun, tolerating light shade[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. Succeeds in a wide range of at least moderately fertile soils[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. Prefers moist growing conditions but farily tolerant of dry soils[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 4.3 - 8.3[
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. Established plants are tolerant of drought and occasional inundation of the soil[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The plant is considered a minor pest of lawns and other utility turf[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
,
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. It commonly invades irrigated pastures[
415
Title
Tropical Forages
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/index.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Mainly focussed on forage plants, the site gives a lot of information on the plant, with a good botanical description, details of cultivation, plant uses and a good selection of photographs.
]. It produces large quantities of seed, which can attach themselves to clothing, animal fur etc, and spreads readily by this means where conditions are suitable for germination. Vegetative spread is extremely slow. Although a slow establisher and with the impediment of disease of the inflorescence, it has been a remarkably successful coloniser[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
,
415
Title
Tropical Forages
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/index.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Mainly focussed on forage plants, the site gives a lot of information on the plant, with a good botanical description, details of cultivation, plant uses and a good selection of photographs.
].
A long-day plant, it has an optimal daylength of 14 hours[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Growth of young plants is slow, but once they are established the growth is vigorous and many leaves are produced in a short time[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Established plants have their fastest growth rate early in the growing season, but growth slows down during mid-summer and autumn. During the cool period in subtropical regions and at higher altitudes the plants are dormant. Flowering occurs throughout the growing period and seeds scatter as soon as they are ripe. With declining soil fertility, the vigour of the plant declines and it is then often invaded by other species[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Yields of fresh herbage can range from 39 - 65 tonnes per hectare[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Paspalum dilatatum can be divided into two varieties, var. Dilatatum and var. Pauciciliatum Parodi. The latter has 2n = 40 chromosomes and is more prostrate. It has slightly smaller and less hairy spikelets, more spikelets per raceme and its lemma and palea have three veins compared with nine in var. Dilatatum. This variety is better adapted to light and poorly drained soils than common Dallis grass. Important cultivars of var. Dilatatum are 'Raki' from New Zealand, 'Charu' from Uruguay and 'Natsugumo' from Japan[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is grown to stabilize soils, and gives excellent protection against erosion[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
,
418
Title
Ecocrop
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
]. Once established, the plant provides good stable ground cover to combat erosion, particularly that which is caused by water movement[
415
Title
Tropical Forages
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/index.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Mainly focussed on forage plants, the site gives a lot of information on the plant, with a good botanical description, details of cultivation, plant uses and a good selection of photographs.
]. It is used to stabilize mine dumps in South Africa[
375
Title
Grassland Species - Profiles
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Gbase/Default.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Terse information on over 650 species of plants that grow in grassland, including trees, shrubs and perennial plants as well as grasses. Gives a brief description of the plant, its range and habitat and some of its uses.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - has some post-harvesting dormancy which can be broken by removal of the glumes[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. It can be sown at any time from spring to late summer, although best sown just before the expected rainy season since germination and establishment can be slow. While seed is generally drilled or broadcast into a well-prepared, fine, weed-free seedbed, it can also be sown directly into rice stubble without further seedbed preparation. It is normally sown at 5 - 10 kg/ha, and preferably placed less than 15mm deep[
415
Title
Tropical Forages
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/index.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Mainly focussed on forage plants, the site gives a lot of information on the plant, with a good botanical description, details of cultivation, plant uses and a good selection of photographs.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-07. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Paspalum+dilatatum>

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