Paspalum
Paspalum is a genus of plants in the grass family.
The group is widespread across much of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Commonly known as paspalum, bahiagrasses, crowngrasses or dallis grasses, many of the species are tall perennial New World grasses. They are warm-season C4 grasses and are most diverse in subtropical and tropical regions.
Paspalum scrobiculatum is a millet locally grown as food grain. Some species, such as bahiagrass and P. nicorae, are grown for pasturage, especially with the perennial forage peanut as a companion crop. Bahiagrass has also some significance as a honey plant.
Water finger-grass resembles bermudagrass, but has a higher salinity tolerance and can consume greywater. It is not infrequently used for arena and golf course turf in warmer coastal regions, such as Baja California, Florida, Peru, Texas and Venezuela. Dedicated paspalum cultivars such as 'Aloha Seashore' or 'Platinum TE' have been produced for such uses.
Paspalums are also food for caterpillars of lepidopterans such as the pasture day moth, and those of the dark palm dart which feed on P. urvillei. Granivorous birds often eat paspalum seeds; the chestnut-breasted munia readily feeds on the seeds of P. longifolium, for example.
The ergot Claviceps paspali is a sac fungus that grows on Paspalum, producing ergot alkaloids and the tremorgen paspalitrem; it causes "paspalum staggers" poisoning in cattle.
Tussock paspalum is considered a noxious weed in Australia. The term “paspalum” without qualification in Australia refers to the common lawn weed P. dilatatum. Australia has five native and approximately sixteen naturalised species.
Daikin Park, the home ballpark of the Houston Astros, has Platinum TE Paspalum as its field surface.
Selected species
Paspalum azuayensePaspalum arundinaceumPaspalum bakeri- †Paspalum batianoffiiPaspalum blodgettiiPaspalum boscianumPaspalum caespitosumPaspalum ceresiaPaspalum clavuliferumPaspalum conjugatum P.J.Bergius - carabao grass, hilo grassPaspalum convexumPaspalum decumbensPaspalum densumPaspalum dilatatum - dallis grassPaspalum disparPaspalum distichumPaspalum fasciculatumPaspalum fimbriatumPaspalum floridanumPaspalum fluitansPaspalum geminatumPaspalum longifoliumPaspalum laeve Michx. - smooth paspalumPaspalum laxumPaspalum longifoliumPaspalum longumPaspalum macrophyllumPaspalum mandiocanum Paspalum maritimumPaspalum millegranaPaspalum minusPaspalum mollePaspalum nicoraePaspalum notatum - bahiagrass, Pensacola bahiagrassPaspalum orbiculare G.Forst.Paspalum orbiculatum Poir.Paspalum paniculatum L.Paspalum parviflorumPaspalum paucispicatumPaspalum peckiiPaspalum pleostachyumPaspalum plicatulum - brownseed paspalumPaspalum pulchellumPaspalum pubiflorumPaspalum quadrifarium - tussock paspalumPaspalum repensPaspalum rugulosumPaspalum rupestrePaspalum schessliiPaspalum scrobiculatum - koda millet, kodo millet, kodra millet, varuka, varuku Paspalum secansPaspalum setaceum - slender paspalumPaspalum soboliferumPaspalum urvilleiPaspalum vaginatum Sw. - water finger-grassPaspalum virgatum
- ''Paspalum wullschlaegelii''