Leptochloa virgata (L.) P.Beauv., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Judd's grass, tropical sprangletop

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Habit: Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 40-110 cm long; 2-3 mm diameter. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.3-0.7 mm long. Leaf-blades 10-26 cm long; 7-10 mm wide. Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle 5-28 cm long. Racemes 5-20; borne along a central axis; flexuous; unilateral; 7-11 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10-22 cm long. Rhachis semiterete. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; contiguous; regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Spikelets comprising 3-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2.5-3.6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 1.2-1.6 mm long; 0.66 times length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.8-2.3 mm long; 1 times length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute. Florets: Fertile lemma ovate; 1.8-2.2 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma margins pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex emarginate; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0-2.2 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped. Flower: Anthers 2; 0.2-0.3 mm long.  Caryopsis with free soft pericarp"  (GrassBase).

Habitat/ecology:  (no habitat/ecology info known by PIER)

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  United States, Mexico, West Indies, Central and South America (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	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1558)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1558) Voucher cited: Forbes 1725.O (BISH)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Costa Rica Costa Rica	Costa Rica (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
El Salvador El Salvador	El Salvador (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)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
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)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Leptochloa virgata is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

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

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

References:

Clayton, W.D./Harman, K.T./Williamson, H. 2011. World Grass Species: Descriptions, Identification, and Information Retrieval [GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora]. The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

U. S. Government. 2011. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

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).