Sorghum arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf, Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Sorghum verticilliflorum (Steudel) Stapf

Common name(s): [more details]

English: common wild sorghum

Fijian: kavirondo sorghum

Spanish: sorgo

Habit:  grass

Description: 

Genus: "Annuals or perennials; panicle terminal, consisting of 1-5 disarticulating racemes; rachis disarticulating in wild species but usually not in cultivated species; spikelets paired or in threes, dissimilar, the sessile spikelets bisexual and seed-bearing, the pedicelled male or neuter" (Smith, 1979; p. 376).

Species:  "Perennial, the culms 90-120 cm or more high; leaf blades 45-90 cm long, 5-7.5 cm broad, tapering to a fine point; spikelets golden-brown in color, turning black at maturity, 6-7 mm long, the lower glume lacking an awn or, on a few spikelets, mucronate." (Smith, 1979)"Annual or short-lived perennial without rhizomes; culms 0.3-4 m high, often robust, the nodes glabrous or pubescent.  Leaf-blades variable, often large, 5-75 cm long, 5-70 mm wide.  Panicle linear to broadly spreading, 10-60 cm long; primary branches compound, ultimately bearing racemes of 2-7 spikelet pairs.  Sessile spikelet lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 4-9 mm long, glabrescent to white pubescent, sometimes tomentose or fulvously pubescent, awnless or more often with an awn 5-30 mm long.  Pedicelled spikelet linear to lanceolate, male or barren, smaller than the sessile"  (Clayton and Renvoize, 1982; p. 727).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  "Swampy soils, streamsides and black clays; also in disturbed places and old farmland; 0-1800 (-2900) m" (Clayton and Renvoize, 1982; p. 727).  In Papua New Guinea, "mostly a weed of roadsides and headlands"  (Henty & Pritchard, 1975; p. 45).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  East Africa and Indian Ocean islands (Smith, 1979; p. 376).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 12) Vouchers cited: M. Lazarides 8031 (CANB, K); P.S. Green 2416 (K); M. Lazarides 11318 (NSW); Nov. 1902, J.H. Maiden & J.L. Boorman (NSW)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 360) Taxon name on voucher: Sorghum arundinaceum
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Miti‘aro Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 373) Taxon name on voucher: Sorghum arundinaceum
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 336) Taxon name on voucher: Sorghum arundinaceum
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santiago Group	Santiago Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 376) Cultivated in Smith. Voucher cited: DA 9121
French Polynesia French Polynesia Islands	French Polynesia Islands		Waterhouse, D. F. (1997) (p. 65)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Adventice
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Makatea (Ma‘atea) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: J. Florence 3000 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Raivavae (Raevavae) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: J. Florence & W.R. Sykes 11227 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Adventice
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Tubuai Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Adventice
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Snow, Neil/Lau, Alex (2010) (p. 56) Voucher cited: K.F. Bio 01-0029-01 (BISH)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 97)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	Tassin, Jacques (2005)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (pp. 251-252) Voucher cited: CHR 168733
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 57) Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Flynn, Tim (2000) (p. 6) Misidentified as Sorghum sudanense in the text. Vouchers: Flynn 6684 (PTBG, K, NIUE), Flynn 6685 (PTBG, K, NIUE)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A./Atherton, J. (1997) (p. 56) Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate (2004) (p. 10)
Niue Niue	Niue Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2000) (voucher ID: PTBG 40692) Taxon name on voucher: Sorghum arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf
Niue Niue	Niue Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2000) (voucher ID: PTBG 30186) Taxon name on voucher: Sorghum arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced invasive	Henty, E. E./Pritchard, G. H. (1975) (p. 45) Common in a few lowland localities.
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1997) (p. 65)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2002) (voucher ID: PTBG 320) Taxon name on voucher: Sorghum arundinaceum
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 97)
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced cultivated	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 110)
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 97)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2001) (voucher ID: PTBG 34427) Taxon name on voucher: Sorghum arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2001) (voucher ID: PTBG 34400) Taxon name on voucher: Sorghum arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 97)

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)	Australia (continental)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011) Naturalized

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

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

Taxonomic information about Sorghum arundinaceum 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.

Clayton, W. D./Renvoize, S. A. 1982. Gramineae (Part 3). In: Flora of tropical East Africa, R.M. Polhill, ed. Crown Agents, London.

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

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./Pritchard, G. H. 1975. Weeds of New Guinea and their control. 2nd edition. Department of Forests, Division of Botany, Botany Bull. No. 7. Lae, Papua New Guinea. 180 pp.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2000. Voucher specimen #PTBG40692(Tim Flynn 6684).

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2000. Voucher specimen #PTBG30186(Tim Flynn 6685).

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2001. Voucher specimen #PTBG34400(Tim Flynn 6895).

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2001. Voucher specimen #PTBG34427(Tim Flynn 6901).

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2002. Voucher specimen #PTBG320(Tim Flynn 6939).

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2002. Voucher specimen #PTBG336(Tim Flynn 6990).

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2002. Voucher specimen #PTBG360(Tim Flynn 7027).

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2002. Voucher specimen #PTBG373(Tim Flynn 7051).

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

Smith, Albert C. 1979. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 1. 494 pp.

Snow, Neil/Lau, Alex. 2010. Notes on grasses (Poaceae) in Hawai‘i. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2008. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 107:46-60.

Space, James C./Flynn, Tim. 2000. Report to the Government of Niue on invasive plant species of environmental concern.  USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 34 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate. 2004. Report to the Government of Niue and the United Nations Development Programme: Invasive plant species on Niue following Cyclone Heta. UNDP NIU/98/G31 - Niue Enabling Activity. 80 pp.

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

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

Tassin, Jacques. 2005. Jacques Tassin (IAC-CIRAD), personal communication.

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

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.

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.

Whistler, W. A./Atherton, J. 1997. Botanical survey of the Huvalu Forest Conservation Area, Niue. Unpublished technical report. 76 pp.