Polypogon australis Brongn., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Polypogon crinitus Trin.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Chilean beard grass, Chilean rabbitsfoot grass

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Perennial. Culms 30-120 cm long. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or antrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5-3 mm long; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades 3-15 cm long; 1.5-8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides. Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle contracted; oblong; interrupted; 5-25 cm long. Primary panicle branches 4-8 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile. Fertile spikelets: Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 1.8-3.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus oblong; 0.2-1 mm long. Floret callus glabrous. Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume oblong; 1.8-3.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 4-15 mm long. Upper glume oblong; 1.8-3.5 mm long; 1.8-2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 4-15 mm long. Florets: Fertile lemma oblong; 1-1.7 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins excurrent. Lemma apex dentate; 4 -fid; truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 3.5-9 mm long overall. Palea 1 mm long; 1 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins. Flower: Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.6-0.9 mm long. Caryopsis with adherent pericarp"  (GrassBase).

Habitat/ecology:  In California (U.S.), "weed, species characteristic of disturbed places, wetland-riparian. Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally found in non wetlands between 0 and 3280 feet"  (Calflora).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Argentina, 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)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más Afuera (Alejandro Selkirk 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)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011) Baja California
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. 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)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011) Arizona, Nevada

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

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

Taxonomic information about Polypogon australis 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.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.