Biscuit grass

Paspalum vaginatum

Family: Poaceae Genus: Paspalum Species: vaginatum

Synonyms: Paspalum vaginatum var. nanum, Paspalum furcatum var. fissum, Paspalum moandaense, Paspalum vaginatum subsp. nanum, Paspalum vaginatum f. longipes, Paspalum didactylum, Paspalum distichum subsp. vaginatum, Paspalum distichum var. tristachyum, Paspalum vaginatum var. longipes, Paspalum brachiatum, Paspalum distichum var. nanum, Paspalum squamatum, Paspalum boryanum, Paspalum distichum var. longerepens, Paspalum littorale, Paspalum vaginatum var. reimarioides, Paspalum distichum var. vaginatum, Paspalum distichum var. ampinense, Paspalum distichum var. littorale, Digitaria paspalodes var. longipes, Paspalum reptans, Digitaria vaginata var. longipes, Sanguinaria vaginata, Paspalum distichum var. anpinense, Paspalum inflatum, Paspalum kleinianum, Digitaria vaginata, Paspalum vaginatum var. littorale, Paspalum jaguaense, Paspalum gayanum, Paspalum tristachyum, Paspalum fissifolium, Digitaria tristachya, Digitaria foliosa, Paspalum reimarioides

Biscuit grass (en)

Gallery

Botanical Description

Paspalum vaginatum, commonly known as seashore paspalum or biscuit grass, is a stoloniferous perennial grass in the family Poaceae with a pantropical distribution along warm coastlines and brackish wetlands. It forms dense, mat-like turf through extensive creeping stolons and rhizomes that root at the nodes, sending up flowering culms typically 15 to 60 centimeters tall. The folded to flat leaf blades are linear, smooth, and bluish-green, with sheathing bases that give the species its epithet. Inflorescences consist of two (occasionally three) slender, conjugate spike-like racemes arising at the apex of the culm, bearing two rows of pale, glabrous, plano-convex spikelets along one side of a narrow rachis. The grass is highly tolerant of salinity, waterlogging, and close mowing, which has made it a widely cultivated turfgrass for coastal lawns, golf courses, and sports fields, as well as a useful pasture and erosion-control species in saline soils.

Native Region: Alabama, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Cayman Is., Chile Central, Chile North, Chile South, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Florida, French Guiana, Galápagos, Georgia, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Louisiana, Mexico Southeast, Mississippi, Nicaragua, North Carolina, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Suriname, Texas, Trinidad-Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela, Windward Is.

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional American Uses

None Documented

Chemistry & External Identifiers

Trefle ID

233091

Important Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.

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