Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  yes

Other Latin names:  Paspalum cumingii Nees ex Steud.; Paspalum pachyrrhizum Steud.; Paspalum paradisiacum Steud.

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Perennial. Rhizomes short. Culms 60-80 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3-5 mm long; brown. Leaf-blades 6-20 cm long; 3-10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base. Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 5-8; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 3-6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 8 cm long. Rhachis wingless. Spikelet packing abaxial; 4 -rowed. Raceme-bases brief; pilose. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels unequal. Fertile spikelets: Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; acute; 2-2.8 mm long; falling entire. Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex obtuse. Florets: Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; glabrous, or puberulous; ciliate on margins; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 2-2.8 mm long; indurate; pallid; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Palea involute; indurate. Flower: Anthers 3. Caryopsis with adherent pericarp"  (GrassBase).

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

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Argentina and Chile (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 556)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

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

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

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

References:

Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John. 2011. Naturalized species in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile. Unpublished spreadsheet.

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.

Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido. 2006. Nouveau catalogue de la flore vaculaire de l'archipel Juan Fernández (Chile) [Nuevo catálogo de la flora vacular del Archipélago Juan Fernández (Chile)]. Acta Bot. Gallica 153(4):399-587.

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