Paspalum fluitans (Elliott) Kunth

Water Crowngrass; Horse Tail Crowngrass

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Water Crowngrass is a native herbaceous annual in the Grass family (Poaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Water Crowngrass grows in loosely rooted floating mats in ponds and lakes, on the banks of rivers and streams, and on sand bars or mud flats in areas of low water. Stems are submerged or decumbent and rooting at the nodes. The stems are green and glabrous. The leaves are alternate, linear to lanceolate in outline, with entire or ciliate margins. The leaves are rough to the touch and may have bulbous-based hairs near their base. The leaf sheaths of floating or submerged stems are inflated and pubescent, often with purple spots. The leaf sheaths of emersed stems are loose, pubescent, with erect ligules 1-3 mm in length. The ligule is a narrow strap-shaped membrane on the leaf sheath at its junction with the blade. Flowers are produced in terminal racemes of 20-50 branches in a “bottle-brush” arrangement. The rachis is foliaceous and covers the spikelets. Spikelets are pubescent and occur in two rows below the rachis. The spikelets are flat on one side and convex on the other. The entire rachis branch falls as one unit. The fruit is a whitish grain. Water Crowngrass is sometimes a nuisance, the floating mats blocking waterways and interfering with boating, fishing, or swimming.--A. Diamond

**

Native OBL (NWPL)

**