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Tussock Paspalum
Botanical name: Paspalum quadrifarium
Noxious Weed Category: Class 3
Grasses Regional Management Plan
Tussock Paspalum growing in good bushland.
Photo: Mel Hall, Dept Environment & Conservation
Description
Tussock Paspalum is a grass which grows in clumps up to one square metre in size, with its seedhead extending another metre above the leaves. It appears to flower and produce seed at least twice a year.
The plant has a blue/green appearance, is often found alongside tracks, roads, streams, wetlands and drains and generally prefers neglected land of low fertility.
Dispersal
Each plant can grow to a large size through the horizontal movement of its rhizome that sends up suckers, ultimately forming a large, dense tussock. Many seeds drop at the base of the plant, forming new plants in close proximity to the parent. The seeds can also be spread by water, on clothing, the fur of animals, mud on boots, vehicle tyres and mowing machinery. Thus the plant has the ability to spread rapidly, and can form dense infestations within a few years.
Impact on bushland
Tussock Paspalum is a highly invasive plant able to establish on edges and spread into bushland. Once established, the weed has the ability to form extremely dense infestations that out compete all other vegetation. Removal of the plant is time-consuming and almost always requires follow-up treatment.
Control
Manual:
- Small infestations or individual plants can be hand pulled, particularly where the soil is sandy or friable.
- Follow up work for a year or more is almost always required after initial treatment to treat any regrowth and newly germinated plants.
- Bag seed heads.
- For larger infestations, the most common method is to brushcut the plant and then spray the regrowth with a Glyphosate-based product.
See Manual Weed Control Techniques.
Chemical: Please contact your local control authority for advice on chemical control.