Florida Paspalum

Plant Profile
FYUSE Image	Common Name: Florida Paspalum Species Name: Paspalum floridanum Plant Type: Grasses & Grass-like Family Name: Poaceae, Grass Family Tribe: Panicgrass


Plant Facts
Origin	Native
Duration	Perennial
Season	Warm
Distribution in the U.S.	Maryland and Virginia westward to Kansas and Texas
Distribution in Oklahoma	Throughout the state

ID Characteristics

Field Identification Characteristics
Vegetative
- Large stems
- Leaves army green colored
- Short, knotty rhizomes
Floral
- Seed heads with 2-5 branches alternating on either side of stem
- Branches zigzagged with 4 rows of “beads” or “coins” along one side
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
- Plant Height: 60-170 centimeters
- Ligule Type: Membranous
- Sheath: Glabrous or sericeous-villous
- Leaves: Cauline
Floral Characteristics
- Inflorescence Type: Raceme
- Florets Per spikelet: 2
- Glumes: Lower glumes absent, upper glumes as long as both lemmas, rounded


Habitat/Ecology
Soil Type	Clay and sandy loam
Habitat	Moist soils of prairies and open woods
Successional Stage	Mid to late