Eriochloa polystachya Kunth, Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Eriochloa subglabra (Nash) Hitchc.; Monachne subglabra Nash

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Carib grass, Caribbean cup grass

Spanish: yerba de Caribe

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Aquatic perennial, creeping grass 5-150 cm tall.  Stems terete or slightly compressed with a central air cavity.  Leaf sheaths ribbed, apically keeled; nodes densely and finely hairy; ligule a fringe of hairs; leaf blade linear, 6-25 cm - 6-15 mm, flat, with an acute apex and scabrous margins.  Inflorescence an erect terminal panicle, 12-24 cm long, with 6-15 pseudo-spikes.  Lower pseudo-spikes 6-15 cm long, shortening upwards to 2.5-4 cm long.  Spikelets hairy, 2-3.8 mm long, with a marked basal swelling; flowers 1 or 2; spikelets shed as a whole when mature."  (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 73-74).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  "Swamps, deep-water rice fields, river banks, drains and ditches on heavy soils. Tolerates strong to medium dry seasons. Rear of coastal dunes to 500 m altitude. Noxious in deeply inundated rice fields where dense growth suppresses other vegetation." (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 73-74).

Propagation:  "Seeds (where produced) and vegetative fragments dispersed by water" (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 73-74).

Native range:  Tropical America (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 73-74).

Presence:

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (p. 74) Java, Tanimbar Island
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	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)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)		Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (p. 74)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)		Waterhouse, B. M./Mitchell, A. A. (1998) (p. 74)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Texas Naturalized
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized

Comments:  "A serious weed in Mexico" (Waterhouse & Mitchell, 1998; pp. 73-74).

Control:  If you know of control methods for Eriochloa polystachya, please let us know.