Andropogon virginicus L., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results: 

Reject, score: 13 (Go to the risk assessment (Australia)).
High risk, score:  20 (Go to the risk assessment (Pacific)).

Common name(s): [more details]

English: broomsedge, broomsedge bluestem, whisky grass, yellow bluestem

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Perennial tall bunchgrass with tufted stems, 50-100 cm tall, branches 1-3 at node.  Leaves:  Leaf-sheaths more or less tuberculate-hirsute on the margins with long usually lax hairs; ligule yellow-brown, membranous, truncate, white-fringed at edge; blades 40 cm long or less, 2-5 mm wide, rough or roughish, hirsute on the upper surface near the base; spathes 3-5 cm long, extending beyond the racemes.  Racemes:  2 (-3-4), 2-3 cm long.  Spikelets:  Sessile spikelet 3-4 mm long, twice to half again as long as the internode, the awn straight, 10-15 mm long; pedicellate spikelet wanting or rarely present as a minute scale, pedicel exceeding the sessile spikelet.  Flowers:  Either sessile and hermaphrodite, or stalked and staminate, sterile or not developed"  (Cronk and Fuller, 1995; pp. 67-69).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  Subhumid to humid subtropical areas on a wide range of soils.  Dried material contributes to fire hazard, and reproduction is encouraged by fire.  In Hawai‘i, "common and often dominant along roadsides and in disturbed dry to mesic forest and shrubland, especially on ridges, 50-1,200 m"  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1497, 1904); "in disturbed grassland and scrub on Oahu from about 50-250 m, on red clay soils in places where the native forest vegetation has been replaced by introduced woody and herbaceous plants' (Cronk & Fuller, 2001, p. 68). "Forms nearly monotypic stands in poor pastures and in open and disturbed conservation land.  Poor forage.  A fire hazzard:  (Motooka et al., 2003).  In Australia, "has invaded communities which are extremely deficient in nutrients and were thought for this reason to be uninvasible"  (Cronk & Fuller, 2001, p. 68).  Highly flammable and alters the fire regime in areas where it has invaded (Cronk & Fuller, 2001, p. 68).

Propagation:  Seed.  "The awned seed is well adapted to catch in wool and fur as well as in clothing and other fibrous materials".  May also spread on mud on machinery.

Native range:  North America, Central America, West Indies

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	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1497) Voucher cited: Lee 65 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. (2000) (p. 14) Voucher cited: C. Imada, W. Char & C. Morden 99-10 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Snow, Neil/Lau, Alex (2010) (pp. 48-49) Voucher cited: D.H. Lorence & A. Stone 8384 (BISH, PTBG, K, US)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Hughes, Guy D'Oyly (1995) (p. 8) East Maui. Voucher cited: Higashino 9360 (BISH) Sparingly naturalized in dieback forest and dominating disturbed areas of lowland mesic shrubland.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L./Meidell, J. Scott/Bartlett, R. T. (1999) (p. 9) West Maui. Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H99804 (BISH) In a wide range of habitats, including bogs, wet and mesic forests, pastures and roadsides.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Hughes, Guy D'Oyly (1995) (p. 8) Voucher cited: Hughes s.n. (BISH) Colonizes disturbed mesic shrubland and dominates many disturbed areas, from 600-1000 m.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1497)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Snow, Neil/Lau, Alex (2010) (pp. 48-49) Vouchers cited: G. Spence 210 (BISH), G. Tam s.n. (BISH 641686)

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)	Australia (continental)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 8)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Queensland Herbarium (2002) (p. 1)
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Guatemala Guatemala	Guatemala (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Honduras Honduras	Honduras (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 191)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 600) "Roadsides and along railway line".
Nicaragua Nicaragua	Nicaragua (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

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)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Comments:  A serious problem in Hawai‘i. On French Polynesia exclusion list.

Control: 

Physical:  "Grazing management is probably the only practical way to control grass weeds in pastures"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Chemical: Effective control can be achieved by application of bromacil, hexazinone, tebuthiuron, bromacil & Diuron, and buthidazole (Cronk & Fuller, 2001; pp. 67-69).

"Research in Oklahoma indicates that glyphosate on intact old growth not effective, but very effective only after removal of old growth e.g. by fire. However, seedlings readily reinfested the treated area. Glyphosate effective for controlling broomsedge but thorough application to live foliage is critical. HAVO staff controlled broomsedge with foliar application of glyphosate at 1% in water (Chris Zimmer, HAVO)"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Additional information:
Excerpt from the book "Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide" (Motooka et al., 2003). (PDF format).
Information from the Global Invasive Species Database.

Additional online information about Andropogon virginicus is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Andropogon virginicus as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Andropogon virginicus may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Cronk, Q. C. B./Fuller, J. L. 2001. Plant invaders. Earthscan Publications, Ltd., London. 241 pp.

Edgar, E./Connor, H. 2000. Flora of New Zealand, vol. V: Gramineae. Manaaki Whenua Press. .

Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar. 1980. Grass weeds, vol. 1. CIBA-GEIGY Ltd., Basle, Switzerland. 142 pp. + plates.

Hughes, Guy D'Oyly. 1995. New Hawaiian plant records II. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Miller, Scott, E., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1994. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 42:1-10.

Imada, Clyde T./Staples, George W./Herbst, Derral R. 2000. New Hawaiian plant records for 1999. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1999. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 63:9-16.

Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro. 2004. Invasive alien species in Japan: the status quo and the new regulation for prevention of their adverse effects. Global Environmental Research 8(2)/2004: 171-191.

Motooka, Philip/Castro, Luisa/Nelson, Duane/Nagai, Guy/Ching, Lincoln. 2003. Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa. 184 pp.

Motooka, Philip/Ching, Lincoln/Nagai, Guy. 2002. Herbicidal Weed Control Methods for Pasture and Natural Areas of Hawaii. Cooperative Extension Service, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai‘i. CTAHR free publication WC-8.

Oppenheimer, Hank L./Meidell, J. Scott/Bartlett, R. T. 1999. New plant records for Maui and Moloka‘i. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1998. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 59:7-11.

Parsons, W. T./Cuthbertson, E. G. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia. Inkata Press, Melbourne/Sydney. 692 pp.

Queensland Herbarium. 2002. Invasive Naturalised Plants in Southeast Queensland, alphabetical by genus. Modified from: Batianoff, George N. and Butler, Don W. (2002). Assessment of Invasive naturalized plants in south-east Queensland. Appendix. Plant Protection Quarterly 17, 27-34. 11 pp.

Snow, Neil/Lau, Alex. 2010. Notes on grasses (Poaceae) in Hawai‘i. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2008. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 107:46-60.

Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd. 2008. Botanical survey of Midway Atoll. Prepared for: United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 27 pp. plus appendices.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).