Cortaderia selloana

(Schult. & Schult. f.) Asch. & Graebn.
Common names: Pampas grass
Introduced
Synonyms: Gynerium argenteum Cortaderia dioica
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 299.

Plants usually dioecious, sometimes monoecious. Culms 2-4 m, usually 2-4 times as long as the panicles. Leaves primarily basal; sheaths mostly glabrous, with a dense tuft of hairs at the collars; ligules 1-2 mm; blades to 2 m long, 3-8 cm wide, mostly flat, cauline, ascending, arching, bluish-green, abaxial surfaces glabrous basally. Panicles 30-130 cm, only slightly, if at all, elevated above the foliage, whitish or pinkish when young. Spikelets 15-17 mm; calluses to 1 mm, with hairs to 2 mm; lemmas long-attenuate to an awn, awns 2.5-5 mm; paleas to 4 mm; stigmas exerted. Caryopses and florets not separating easily from the rachilla. 2n = 72.

Distribution

Va., N.J., Wash., Tex., La., Utah, Calif., Ala., Tenn., Ga., S.C., Oreg.

Discussion

Cortaderia selloana is native to central South America. It is cultivated as an ornamental in the warmer parts of North America. It was thought that it would not become a weed problem because most plants sold as ornamentals are unisexual, but it is now considered an aggressive weed in California and Bendigo, Australia. The weedy Australian plants are bisexual (Walsh 1994).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"-4timesaslongasthepanicles" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Cortaderia selloana"
Kelly W. Allred +
(Schult. & Schult. f.) Asch. & Graebn. +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
geniculate +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
not pseudopetiolate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (200 cm2,000 mm <br />2 m <br />) +
flat +  and folded +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (200 cm2,000 mm <br />2 m <br />) +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
stiff +  and flexible +
spikelike +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
not separating +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
arching +  and ascending +
Pampas grass +
hollow +  and solid +
perennial +  and annual +
200 cm2,000 mm <br />2 m <br /> (400 cm4,000 mm <br />4 m <br />) +
woody +  and herbaceous +
Va. +, N.J. +, Wash. +, Tex. +, La. +, Utah +, Calif. +, Ala. +, Tenn. +, Ga. +, S.C. +  and Oreg. +
small +  and large +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
capillary +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
pistillate +  and staminate +
not separating +
glabrous +, hairy +  and long-sericeous +
sometimes longer +
3 +, 2 +  and 9 +
bisexual +  and unisexual +
compressed +
subtending +
unequal +
non-uncinate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
spicate +  and ebracteate +
racemose +  and paniculate +
solid +  and hollow +
3-5(7)-veined +
entire +, awned +  and bifid +
with non-uncinate hairs +  and glabrous +
long-attenuate +
firmly membranous +  and coriaceous +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
setaceous +
inconspicuous +
ciliate +  and glabrous +
lobed +  and cuneate +
extended +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
well-developed +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
pinkish +  and whitish +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (130 cm1,300 mm <br />1.3 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
Introduced +
bisexual +  and unisexual +
compressed +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Gynerium argenteum +  and Cortaderia dioica +
Cortaderia selloana +
Cortaderia +
species +
membranous +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
monoecious +  and dioecious +