Sporobolus africanus (Poir.) Robyns & Tournay, Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Sporobolus indicus (L.) R. Br. var. capensis Engl.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: African dropseed, Parramatta grass, rat's tail grass, rattail grass, smut grass, tufty grass

Mangarevan: aretu

Niuean: motie hikutaha

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Perennials; culms sparsely to densely tufted, wiry, 3-10 dm tall.  Sheaths 4-12 cm long, compressed, pilose at throat and along margins but otherwise glabrous; ligule ciliate, less than 0.2 mm long; blades flat to weakly involute, 10-25 cm long, 2-5 mm wide at base, glabrous, apex attenuate.  Panicles 15-25 cm long, erect, spike-like, sometimes interrupted at base, branches short, closely appressed; spikelets (1.5-) 2-2.8 mm long, glabrous; first glume oblong, 0.4-0.7 mm long, apex obtuse, second glume ovate, 1-1.5 mm long, apex acute; lemma oblong to lanceolate, ca. 2 mm long, faintly 3-nerved, hyaline, apex obtuse to acute; palea as long as lemma.  Fruit dark red, obovate, 1.2-1.5 mm long, apex obtuse to truncate, readily separating from the spikelet but often adhering to the panicle for some time after maturity by the mucilaginous pericarp" (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1596, 1912).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in disturbed areas such as along roadsides and in grasslands and pastures, 150-2,440 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1596).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Africa (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1596).

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) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 22) "This species is common in open areas and on grassy slopes, often indicating that the pasture is overgrazed". Vouchers cited: P.S. Green 1548 (A, K), L.A.S. Johnson & A.N. Rodd 1286 (K, NSW), R.D. Hoogland 8655 (CANB)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 12) "This species is common in open areas and on grassy slopes, often indicating that the pasture is overgrazed". Vouchers cited: M. Lazarides 8064 (CANB, K), P.S. Green 1409 (A, K), W. Laing (CHR)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 60)
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Mangareva (Gambier) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Adventice
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Mangareva (Gambier) Island	introduced	St. John, Harold (1988) (p. 8) Voucher cited: St. John 14534 (BISH)
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Taravai Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Adventice
French Polynesia Gambier Islands	Taravai Island	introduced	St. John, Harold (1988) (p. 8) Voucher cited: St. John 14796 (BISH)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Adventice
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Adventice
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008) Voucher cited: J. L'Helguen 016
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Adventice
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (2004) (voucher ID: PTBG 42500) Taxon name on voucher: Sporobolus africanus (Poir.) Robyns & Tounay
French Polynesia Society Islands	Bora Bora Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Voucher cited: J. Florence 12065 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Bora Bora Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1993) (voucher ID: BISH 663572) Taxon name on voucher: Sporobolus indicus (C. Linnaeus) R. Brown var. capensis H.G.A. Engler
French Polynesia Society Islands	Huahine Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 346) Voucher cited: Krauss 1657
French Polynesia Society Islands	Huahine Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Voucher cited: J. Florence & R. Tahuaitu 11639 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Huahine Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1992) (voucher ID: BISH 643042) Taxon name on voucher: Sporobolus indicus (C. Linnaeus) R. Brown var. capensis H.G.A. Engler
French Polynesia Society Islands	Mehetia (Mahetia, Meetia) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Vouchers cited: J. Florence 10253 (PAP), J. Florence 10301 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island		University of California (2006)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Moorea Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Mopelia (Mapetia, Maupiha‘a, Maupihoa, Mopiha‘a) Atoll	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Voucher cited: M.-H. Sachet 925 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 346) Vouchers cited: BRY 26432, BRY 26461
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler, voucher cited: J. Florence 10434 (PAP); as var. africanus (Poiret) Jovet & Guedés, voucher cited: P. Morat 6943 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Taha‘a Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 106)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 346) Vouchers cited: Gagne 1562, Fosberg & Sachet 54558, Fosberg 61099
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Adventice
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Moruroa Atoll	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Adventice
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Niau Atoll	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Voucher cited: J. Florence 10104 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Raivavae (Raevavae) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Voucher cited: J. Florence & W.R. Sykes 11212 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Sporobolus indicus var. capensis H.G. Engler. Adventice
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1596)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaho‘olawe Island	introduced invasive	Herbst, Derral R./Clayton, W. D. (1998) (p. 36) Voucher cited: Warren KAH-90-6 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1596)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1596)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1596)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1596)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1596)
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Kermadec Islands	introduced invasive	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 531) "Coastal in pasture, and in grassland on sunny hill slopes, and on cliffs, also in scrub, waste land and on roadsides".
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Raoul Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R. (1977) (pp. 176-177)
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Raoul Island	introduced	Sykes, W. R./West, C. J. (1996) (p. 458)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 252) Vouchers cited: CHR 168787, CHR 168788, CHR 168789
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Yuncker, T. G. (1943) (p. 21) Voucher cited: Yuncker 9936 (BISH) "A weedy species in dooryards and waste areas".

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 invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Queensland Herbarium (2002) (p. 8)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 531) "Coastal in pasture, and in grassland on sunny hill slopes, and on cliffs, also in scrub, waste land and on roadsides".

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 350) As Sporobolus capensis (Willd.) Kunth

Additional information:
Fact sheet from the Government of Queensland, Australia. (PDF format).

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

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

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

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1992. Voucher specimen #BISH 643042 (Florence 11639).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1993. Voucher specimen #BISH 663572 (Florence 12065).

Edgar, E./Connor, H. 2000. Flora of New Zealand, vol. V: Gramineae. Manaaki Whenua Press. .

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).

Fosberg, F. R. 1997. Preliminary checklist of the flowering plants and ferns of the Society Islands. Ed. by David R. Stoddart. U. Cal. Berkeley.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1987. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian monocotyledonae. Micronesica 20:1-126.

Herbst, Derral R./Clayton, W. D. 1998. Notes on the grasses of Hawai‘i: new records, corrections, and name changes. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Miller, Scott, E., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1997. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 55:17-38.

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.

Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. 2008. Flora of the Marquesas Islands. National Tropical Botanical Garden and the Smithsonian Institution. Online database.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 2004. Voucher specimen #PTBG42500 (J. L'Helguen 016).

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

Queensland Herbarium. 2002. Invasive Naturalised Plants in Southeast Queensland, alphabetical by genus. Modified from: Batianoff, George N. and Butler, Don W. (2002). Assessment of Invasive naturalized plants in south-east Queensland. Appendix. Plant Protection Quarterly 17, 27-34. 11 pp.

St. John, Harold. 1988. Census of the Flora of the Gambier Islands, Polynesia. Pacific Plant Studies 43. Honolulu, Hawaii. 34 pp. [Privately published].

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

Sykes, W. R. 1977. Kermadec Islands flora: an annotated checklist. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 219, Wellington. 216 pp.

Sykes, W. R./West, C. J. 1996. New records and other information on the vascular flora of the Kermadec Islands. New Zealand Journal of Botany 34:447-462.

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

University of California. 2006. Moorea Digital Flora Project (online resource).

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).

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1943. The flora of Niue Island. Bishop Mus. Bull. 178. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 126 pp.