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Graminae
Common names
Brunswick grass (United States).
Description
A perennial with long, deep and vigorous rhizomes. Culms erect,
generally less than 40 cm tall, with basal leaves and short internodes.
Leaves erect, narrow, grey-green, 10-20 cm long and 2-3 cm broad with sparse
hairs on the dorsal surface. Inflorescence grey-green, generally with two
to five racemes, 2-5 cm long; spikelets oval to elliptical, 2.4-2.8 mm
long and 1.5 mm broad; sterile lemma usually transversely wrinkled; glume
with very short, fine hairs visible only under magnification. Seed dark
hazel, glossy, and pronouncedly convex (Strickland, 1979, personnel communication).
It is like Bahia grass (P. notatum), being perennial and sod-forming, but,
unlike it, spreads by rhizomes rather than stolons (Beaty, Powell &
Lawrence, 1970).
Distribution
Southern Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay.
Season of growth
Autumn.
Ability to spread naturally
It spreads well by means of rhizomes (Beaty, Powell & Lawrence,
1970).
Vigour of growth and growth
rhythm
Vegetative growth at Americus, Georgia, United States, begins
in March (spring) and continues until November. Most forage is produced
from 20 April to 20 September.
Response to defoliation
It has been closely grazed for 20 years in the south-eastern
United States and Beaty, Powell and Lawrence (1970) cut it at intervals
of one to six weeks to a height of 3 cm. The largest production with nitrogen
fertilization occurred with cuts every three weeks. It regenerates well
after grazing or cutting.
Minimum temperature for
growth
It has some cold tolerance, beginning growth in early spring
(March) in Georgia, United States.
Response to light
It is shade tolerant; growth is significant under pine trees
in the United States (Beaty, Powell & Lawrence, 1970).
Palatability
It is well grazed.
Natural habitat
Moist sandy soils of the littoral.
Fertilizer requirements
It responded to nitrogen up to 336 kg/ha in Georgia.
Genetics and reproduction
2n=40. It is apomictic and pseudogamous (Burson & Bennett,
1970; Bashaw, Hovin & Holt, 1970).
Seed production and harvesting
Seed set was 18.6-48 percent for open pollination and 2.2-26.4
percent from self-pollination (Burson & Bennett, 1970).
Further reading
Beaty, Powell & Lawrence, 1970.
Value for erosion control
It is excellent for the stabilization of waterways and surfaces
of airfields.
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