Cyrtococcum patens (L.) A. Camus, Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Cyrtococcum accrescens (Trin.) Stapf; Panicum patens L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: gong guo shu

English: bowgrass

Pohnpeian: reh-maikol, rehmaikol, solmaleh

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Creeping perennial, culms prostrate and rooting at the nodes, erect portions to 60 cm tall, internodes cylindrical, hollow, glabrous, nodes glabrous.  Leaf sheaths glabrous, ciliate; ligule 0.5-0.7 mm high, glabrous; longest blades 3.5-9 cm long, 3-12 mm wide, lanceolate, acuminate, the base asymmetrical, the margins minutely scabrous and with a few basal cilia.  Panicle 5-25 cm long, the branches widely spreading, the pedicels longer than the spikelets, spreading. Spikelets 1.6-2 mm long, pubescent; lower glume 0.9-1.4 mm long, 3-nerved; upper glume 1.5-1.7 mm long, 3-5-nerved; lower floret sterile, lemma 5-nerved, its palea rudimentary or absent; upper floret 1.4-1.8 mm long, 0.8-1.2 mm wide, minutely pitted" (Dassanayake, 1994; pp. 142-143).

"Ascending grass similar to C. oxyphyllum, but larger, with fine, spreading panicle branches" (Whistler, 1988; p. 49).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  In Samoa, "uncommon in disturbed places in the mountains" (Whistler, 1988; p. 49).  In Ceylon, "in shady habitats, especially in secondary growth at elevation of 500 m" (Dassanayake, 1994; pp. 142-143).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  India and tropical Asia (Dassanayake, 1994; pp. 142-143). Fosberget al. (1987; p. 35) list as native in Micronesia.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 35)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Dublon (Tonowas) Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 35)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Fefan Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 35)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Tol Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 35)
Federated States of Micronesia Chuuk Islands	Weno (Moen) Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 35)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 35)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		Glassman, S. F. (1952) (p. 127) Vouchers cited: Glassman 2472 (US), Glassman 2836 (US)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	native	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (pp. 55-56) Vouchers cited: A. Dores 76 (BISH, NY, PTBG), E. Eperiam 17 (NY), T.W. Flynn 6089 (K, PTBG), F.R. Fosberg 2966 (BISH), S.F. Glassman 2472 (BISH), S. Ishikawa 462 (BISH), D.H. Lorence 8090 (K, MO, PTBG, US), D.H. Lorence 9555 (BISH, COM, NY, PTBG, US), D.H. Lorence 9989 (PTBG), L. Raulerson 25292 (BISH), F.F. Sohl 36 (BISH, NY, PTBG), M. Takamatsu 719 (BISH), C. Trauernicht 142 (NY, PTBG)
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands		Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 35)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Koror (Oreor) Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Papua New Guinea Bougainville Islands	Bougainville Island		Foreman, D. B. (1971) (p. 25)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (p. 66) Common in thickets, some secondary forests, old clearings, etc., at low and medium altitudes.
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 49)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 91)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	native	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 63)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Moist places in grasslands and forests. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan.
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 330) In forests or wet places.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Japan	Japan	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 31) Critically endangered
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Moist places in grasslands and forests.
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Cyrtococcum patens, please let us know.