Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) Clayton, Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results: 

Reject, score: 22 (Go to the risk assessment (Florida (U.S.))).
High risk (Go to the risk assessment (United States)) (PDF format).

Other Latin names:  Rottboellia exaltata L. f.

Common name(s): [more details]

Bikol: gaho

Bontoc: nagei

Chinese: tong zhou mao

English: corngrass, guinea-fowl grass, itchgrass, Kelly grass, kokoma grass, Raoul grass

Filipino: bukal, girum

French: fataque duvet

Ibatan: annarai

Iloko: sagisi

Spanish: arocillo gigante, caminadora, cola de la garto, cola de lagarto, paja peluda, rogelia

Tagalog: aguiñgay

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Tall annual, supported below by stilt roots, the basal leaf sheaths painfully hispid; culms 0.3-3.0 m tall.  Leaf blades broadly linear, up to 45 cm long and 2 cm wide.  Racemes 3-15 cm long, glabrous, terminating in a tail of reduced spikelets, gathered into a spathate false panicle.  Sessile spikelet oblong-elliptic, pallid; lower glume 3.5-5 mm long; upper glume with its keel narrowly winged toward the tip; pedicelled spikelet narrowly ovate, 3-5 mm long, herbaceous, green; pedicel shorter than the internode" (Dassanayake, 1994; pp. 389-390).

"Annual, erect, up to ca 3 m tall; culms supported by prop roots, nodes glabrous. Leaf sheaths glabrous or with sparse tubercular-based hairs; ligules ca 2 mm long; leaf blades linear to broadly linear, apex attenuate, up to 45 cm x 0.5-5 cm, glabrous or with sparse tubercular-based hairs. Racemes 3-15 cm long, terminating with several reduced spikelets; sessile spikelets 3.5-5.5 mm long; pedicellate spikelets herbaceous, green, 3-5 mm long" (Stanley and Ross, 1989; vol. 3, p. 250).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  "A weed of warm season crops but its habitat varies widely across the world.  In many areas it is prominent in open, well-drained places and is one of the important species in old field successions.  In South Africa, however, it frequents wet places and, in Madras, may even grow in shallow water.  In some regions it requires sunny or moderately shaded places, whereas in others it is found in thickets or teak forests.  Finally, it is common on contour banks and roadsides and its importance as a weed of several cultivated world crops is increasing.  The weed is most troublesome between 800 and 1,300 m elevation" (Holm et al., 1977; pp. 139-143).

"In eastern Africa the species is one of the primary colonizers of disturbed land.  In Trinidad it is one of the important fast-growing annuals which finally become dominant and take over from early perennial colonizers such as Cynodon dactylon and Cyperus rotundus.  It is a very vigorous plant and often exists in pure stands in old, cultivated fields and near habitations"  (Holm et al., 1977; pp. 139-143).

In Sri Lanka, "along roadsides and in open, weedy places, from sea level to 200 m elevation" (Dassanayake, 1994; pp. 389-390).

Propagation:  "Reproduction is by seeds.  A single plant may bear 2,200 seeds.  Seeds are spread by water, in poorly cleaned crop seeds, and by harvesting machines" (Holm et al., 1977; p. 142).

Native range:  Africa, Asia and Australia (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Fiji Islands		Waterhouse, D. F. (1997) (p. 64)
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)		Henty, E. E. (1969) (p. 166) As Rottboellia exaltata L. f.
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1997) (p. 64)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (p. 141)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	native	Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (pp. 68, 78)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (pp. 39-40) In open places, borders of thickets, etc., at low and medium altitudes; common.
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 96)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced invasive	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 106)

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)	New South Wales	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (p. 141)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 345) As Rottboellia exaltata L. f.
Colombia Colombia	Colombia (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 312)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (p. 141)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 192) As Rottboellia exaltata L. var. appendiculata Hack.
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	introduced invasive	Pallawatta, Nirmalie/Reaser, Jamie K./Gutierrez, Alixis T./eds. (2003) (p. 46)
Panama Panama	Panama (Republic of)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 312)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (p. 141)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 75) Naturalised
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)		Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. (1977) (p. 141)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	native	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1993) (p. 21)

Control: 

Biological:  Waterhouse (1994, pp. 223-227) lists the natural enemies of the species.

Additional information:
Information from the Global Invasive Species Database.

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

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

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

References:

Charles Darwin Foundation. 2008. Database inventory of introduced plant species in the rural and urban zones of Galapagos. Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 273 pp.

Dassanayake, M. D., gen. ed. 1994. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon. Vol VIII. Amerind Pub. Co., New Delhi. 458 pp.

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

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Henty, E. E. 1969. A manual of the grasses of New Guinea. Department of Forests, Division of Botany, Botany Bull. No. 1. Lae, New Guinea. 215 pp.

Holm, Leroy G./Plucknett, D. L./Pancho, J. V./Herberger, J. P. 1977. The world’s worst weeds: distribution and biology. East-West Center/University Press of Hawaii. 609 pp.

Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 391 pp.

Merrill, Elmer D. 1925. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants, vol. 1 [reprint]. Bureau of Printing, Manila. 463 pp.

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.

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1993. Flora of Australia. Vol. 50, Oceanic islands 2. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1994. Flora of Australia. Vol. 49, Oceanic islands 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Pallawatta, Nirmalie/Reaser, Jamie K./Gutierrez, Alixis T./eds. 2003. Invasive alien species in south-southeast Asia: national reports and directory of resources. Global Invasive Species Programme. 111 pp.

Stanley, T. D./Ross, E. M. 1989. Flora of south-eastern Queensland. Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Misc. Pub. 81020. 3 Volumes.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

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

Waterhouse, D. F. 1993. The major arthropod pests and weeds of agriculture in Southeast Asia. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra. 141 pp.

Waterhouse, D. F. 1997. The major invertebrate pests and weeds of agriculture and plantation forestry in the Southern and Western Pacific. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra. 93 pp.

Wu, Te-lin. 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised). 384 pp.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).