Cortaderia jubata (Lemoine ex Carriere) Stapf, Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results: 

Reject, score: 22 (Go to the risk assessment (Australia))
High risk, score: 26 (Go to the risk assessment (Pacific))

Other Latin names:  Gynerium jubatum Lemoine ex Carrière

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Andean pampas grass, jubata grass, pink pampas grass, purple pampas grass

Spanish: sacuara

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Robust, tussock grass up to 3 m in diameter, flowering stalks up to 3 m high.  Leaves:  Bright green, up to 1500 mm long x 12 mm wide, reflexed, tips not bristle-like, blade flat to only slightly v-shaped in cross-section, margins rough, cutting; leaves mostly basal to half the height of the flowing stalks.  Inflorescence:  Yellowish or purple, loosely branching, feathery, 600-800 mm long.  Fruits:  Seeds, falling from old inflorescence which remains a dark or yellowish color" (Henderson, 1995; p. 11).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  Disturbed areas, clearings, sand dunes, roadsides, grasslands, pastures, alpine shrublands. Invades disturbed areas, smothering other plants and preventing regeneration. Buildup of dry material can significantly increase fire hazard.  "Tolerates heat and frost, salt, wind, wet and drought, moderate shade, most soils, and low fertility. Recovers quickly after fire"  (Weedbusters New Zealand).

Propagation:  "Seeds are spread long distances by wind and occasionally water. Also spreads by soil movement, dumped vegetation, contaminated forestry machinery, clothing, animal pelts. Common seed sources are plantation forests, roadsides, farm hedges, quarries and wasteland"  (Weedbusters New Zealand).

Native range:  Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru; cultivated and naturalized elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Meidell, J. Scott/Oppenheimer, H. L./Bartlett, R. T. (1998) (p. 8) West Maui. Voucher cited: Meidell & Oppenheimer 236 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Loope, L./Medeiros, A. C. (1992) (pp. 7-8) East Maui

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 152)
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia Naturalized
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Owen, S. J. (1997)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive cultivated	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 495) "Waste places, lowlands, plantation forests and scrub to 800 m".
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Chile (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized

Comments:  A problem species in New Zealand (declared noxious weed). On Hawai‘i noxious weed list.

See also C. selloana.

Control:  Control information from the Bugwood Wiki. See also Gosling et al., 2000. and Popay et al., 2003.

Physical:  "Dig or grub out seedlings or small plants. Chainsaw small plants and remove sizeable plants by bulldozer. Compost or Leave on site to rot down. the foliage. Burn or bury any flowerheads.

Chemical:  1. Weed wipe (all year round): glyphosate (200ml/L + penetrant). 2. Spray: Gallant (150ml/10l + crop oil) for most sites or glyphosate (100ml/10L + penetrant) for very dense sites. Use a marker dye to avoid wastage and a foaming agent to help prevent spray drift. Leave the plants in the ground until the roots have died off. Wait until the plant actively begins growing again before respraying."  (Weedbusters New Zealand).