Buffalo Grass - introduced (*Stenotaphrum secundatum)

Native to North America. Perennial. C4.

Family. Poaceae (Grass family).

Identification:

• it is a coarse-stemmed creeping grass
• the flowers are spike-like and recessed into the stalks.
• the first glume is less than a third of the spikelet length
• the leaves flat or folded
• the ligule is a short fringed membrane.

It is often planted in Melbourne nature strips and lawns. Like Kikuyu, it grows best in well-watered sandy soil. The flowers are in narrow spike-like clusters. Each spikelet is in a small cluster. The lower spikelets are stalkless, and the upper spikelets are on short stalks which are pressed against the main stalk.

Buffalo Grass differs from Kikuyu in that its ligule is a fringed membrane 0.5-1mm long, its leaves are blunt-ended, and its flowers are recessed into the stems. Couch Grass is much more slender, and has windmill flowers.

Buffalo Grass is widespread in the Melbourne area and beach areas.

stenos: narrow; taphros: a trench, the spikelets are in grooves in the main stalk; secundus; one sided.

---