img

Bothriochloa pertusa

(L.) A.Camus (1931)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Poales Family: Poaceae Genus: Bothriochloa

paniau (Ni‘ihau via St. John), pitted beardgrass, pitted beardstem, pitted bluegrass, white pili grass

img

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Sprawling perennials.

Stems: Rhizomes contracted, culms 30–100 cm tall, hollow, freely branching, glabrous except upwardly bearded at nodes, rooting at lower nodes.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades 3–4 mm wide. Surfaces with scattered, elongate, papillose based hairs along margins and above ligule. Margins entire. Veins parallel. Sheaths keeled, hirsute; ligule a ciliate membrane, 0.7–1.2 mm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences terminal, often purplish, flabellate, 3–5 cm long, peduncles exserted up to 12 cm from the subglabrous, bladeless upper sheath, glabrous or slightly bearded at apex, consisting of several ascending racemes, racemosely arranged along a short axis, pedicels of pedicellate spikelet ca. 3 mm long, densely villous, flattened; pedicellate spikelet 3–4 mm long, sterile or sometimes staminate, often purple–tinged, scaberulous; sessile spikelet ca. 5 mm long; first glume subcoriaceous, with a conspicuous pit in the middle, villous on lower ½ scabrous on upper ½ attenuate, often bidentate at apex, second glume ca. 5 mm long, submembranous, keeled, minutely puberulent at apex, otherwise glabrous, apiculate; first (sterile) lemma 2.5–2.7 mm long, hyaline, ciliate on upper margins, fertile lemma reduced to a slender, geniculate, reddish brown awn 15–20 mm long; palea absent. Stamens 3. Ovary superior.

Fruit: Caryopsis ovoid to ellipsoid; 1.5–2 mm long.

Ploidy: 2n = 36; 40; 60

Habitat: Naturalized usually in open; disturbed sites such as pastures; savannas; and along roadsides.

Elevation Range: 5–1,340 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

img

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Naturalized
Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Naturalized
Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Kaho'olawe Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, n.s., 76: 164 (1931)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1503 (Ni, K, O, Mo, L, M, Ka, H); Herbst & Clayton 1998:19 (KEY); Starr & Martz 2000:11 (Mi); Faccenda 2023c:88, 99 (remove Ni [re-IDed as B. macra], KEY); Faccenda, Yorkston & Morden 2024:38, 40 (ID confirmed via ITS sampling)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Bothriochloa pertusa Keokea, Sun Yat Sen Park along Ulupalakua Rd Infrequently mowed grassland area in park dominated weeds. Full sun Preserved_Specimen Common stoloniferous grass in sunny areas Faccenda, K. 2792 Maui BISH 2022-10-26
2 Bothriochloa pertusa Ewa Mahiko District Park, Ewa Beach Growing against a fence in compact soil, full sun, not irrigated. Preserved_Specimen Perennial, cespitose, ca 50-55 cm. tall. Ca. 50-60 plants seen. Ross, M.C. 1890 Oahu BISH 2023-02-13
3 Bothriochloa pertusa Under large kiawe. Preserved_Specimen Warren, S. 15 Kahoolawe BISH 1987-04-09
4 Bothriochloa pertusa Kaalualu Bay near South Point Found in one spot on northwest side of bay in grazed area Preserved_Specimen Grass with basal leaves and 50 cm high flowering stalk Whistler, W.A. 50 Hawaii BISH 1972-04-06
5 Bothriochloa pertusa Kiei Islet Rare. Preserved_Specimen A couple of plants. Starr, F. 6040611 Lanai BISH 2006-04-06
6 Bothriochloa pertusa Luamakika Growing along drainage system and profusely in kiawe clumps Preserved_Specimen Most common grass in area, forming hummocks Wagner, W.L. 5774 Kahoolawe BISH 1988-02-24
7 Bothriochloa pertusa Luamakika Growing along drainage system and profusely in kiawe clumps Preserved_Specimen Most common grass in area Wagner, W.L. 5774 Kahoolawe BISH 1988-02-24
8 Bothriochloa pertusa Keomuku Rd, along Preserved_Specimen Common bunch grass Herbst, D.R. 5793 Lanai BISH 1976-03-31
9 Bothriochloa pertusa Kalaupapa; airport, edge of wetland, roadside Preserved_Specimen perennial grass Wysong, M.L. 608 Molokai BISH 2005-02-08
10 Bothriochloa pertusa Makaupu'u point Open field Preserved_Specimen Whitney, L.D. 4210 Oahu BISH 1936-06-15
11 Bothriochloa pertusa NE Lanai, Halulu Gulch Dominant grass on dry, rocky slopes, interspersed with Sida fallax, Chamaecrista, Waltheria, Lantana. All parts dried up at this time of year. Preserved_Specimen Imada, C. 200237 Lanai BISH 2002-07-22
12 Bothriochloa pertusa Kalaupapa; Waihanau Preserved_Specimen sprawling perennial Hughes, G.D. 1104 Molokai BISH 2004-02-12
13 Bothriochloa pertusa Mokulua South, Oahu Preserved_Specimen Occasional. Here and there on ridges. Starr, F. 5022320 Oahu BISH 2005-02-23
14 Bothriochloa pertusa Kailua; Border of drainage canal near Kawainui Marsh Preserved_Specimen Common, probably mowed regularly O'Connor, P.J. Oahu BISH 1985-11-24
15 Bothriochloa pertusa Makaha 4 km west of Makaha surfing beach Growing alongside road 4km west of Makaha surfing beach Preserved_Specimen Herb to 30-40 cm. Straw colored. Stems smooth Teraoka, W. 291 Oahu BISH 1980-02-15
16 Bothriochloa pertusa Lua Makika. OBSERVATION Curtis Daehler kahoolawe HAPI 10/18/2007
17 Bothriochloa pertusa Kalaheo, Waha Road Preserved_Specimen Flynn, T.W. 614 Kauai BISH 1983-10-29
18 Bothriochloa pertusa Tongg Ranch Preserved_Specimen Hodges, C. Oahu BISH 1982-03-08
19 Bothriochloa pertusa Moiliili, Behind Charlie's Tavern Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 91 Oahu BISH 1966-05-01
20 Bothriochloa pertusa Punaluu Preserved_Specimen Uehara, S. Oahu BISH
21 Bothriochloa pertusa ca. 150 m inland of Barber's Point Harbor, Ko Olina 19-20 m Exposed coastal plain, growing in Leucaena scrub with Chloris barbata, soil calcareous, dry, full sun. Preserved_Specimen Perennial, cespitose, ca. 25-35 cm tall. Ca. 10-15 plants seen. Ross, M.C. 1943 Oahu BISH 2023-05-17
22 Bothriochloa pertusa Koolau Poko District; Mokapu Peninsula Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay By building 605 at jct of Palikilo & Sumner Rds. Preserved_Specimen Perennial grass; probably most abundant grass on the installation. Herbst, D.R. 9744 Oahu BISH 1995-12-05
23 Bothriochloa pertusa Mohopilo, Ulupalakua, Mohawao Abundant in open Lantana pasture. Local patch Preserved_Specimen Abundant Hosaka, E.Y. 1712 Maui BISH 1937-01-21
24 Bothriochloa pertusa Kailua; Mokapu Peninsula In pasture Preserved_Specimen Rare in pasture Hosaka, E.Y. 1378 Oahu BISH 1936-06-17
25 Bothriochloa pertusa Wheeler Army Airfield, Schofield Plateau, Wahiawa Near airfield and around maintenance buildings Preserved_Specimen Common grass Nagata, K.M. 1386 Oahu BISH 1976-10-27
26 Bothriochloa pertusa Waimea District, land of Makaweli Weed in old Russian Fort Preserved_Specimen Common bunch grass Herbst, D.R. 5687 Kauai BISH 1976-02-26
27 Bothriochloa pertusa Dole St. Base of Wa'ahila ridge Infrequently mowed roadside, part to full sun. Rather dry Preserved_Specimen Common Faccenda, K. 1720 Oahu BISH 2021-02-12
28 Bothriochloa pertusa Honolulu; Manoa Campus, Univ. of Hawaii In long grass lawn Preserved_Specimen Erect grass. Flower green/brown Swarbrick, J.T. 18 Oahu BISH 1976-01-04
29 Bothriochloa pertusa Ridge between Pia Valley and Kuli'ou'ou (closer to Pia valley). Along trail Dry sunny area at low elevations Preserved_Specimen Uncommon along trail Faccenda, K. 2130 Oahu BISH 2021-10-23
30 Bothriochloa pertusa Waimea Canyon Drive, ca. 3.3 mi. from Waimea Edge of Waimea Canyon. North exposure, 75 deg. slope. Dominated by Leucaena Preserved_Specimen Common Flynn, T.W. 997 Kauai BISH 1985-02-07
31 Bothriochloa pertusa Honokanaia, basecamp Kahoolawe Substrate: Coastal. Vegetation: Cenchrus ciliaris, Prosopis pallida Preserved_Specimen Naturalized grass. Camp/scrub/brown Starr, F. 412273 Kahoolawe BISH 2004-12-27
32 Bothriochloa pertusa Western end of the island, Kulawai Loop near Kapukahehu Beach Roadside vegetation in heavily grazed area, full sun, very dry area Preserved_Specimen Plants only seen within 1 m of the edge of the road, presumably because water running off the road makes it slightly moister than the areas away from the road. Common, stoloniferous Faccenda, K. 2893 Molokai BISH 2022-12-26
33 Bothriochloa pertusa Kahuku Along roadways through abandoned sugar cane fiels and Leucaena thickets. Sunny sites. Preserved_Specimen Nagata, K.M. 3937 Oahu BISH 1988-12-21
34 Bothriochloa pertusa Koolau Mountain Range: Honolulu: Sandy Beach Park Growing in scattered tufts in full sun or dry coral gravel along bank of marshy inlet. Preserved_Specimen Leaves basal, inflorescence 1-2 dm tall. O'Connor, P.J. Oahu BISH 1987-05-16
35 Bothriochloa pertusa Mauna Loa, Puu Nana In open pasture Preserved_Specimen Rare Hosaka, E.Y. 1849 Molokai BISH 1937-04-16
36 Bothriochloa pertusa Waimea District. Mana, intersection of Lio Road and Hwy 50 Along roadside. With Chloris barbata and Cenchrus ciliaris Preserved_Specimen Common grass Flynn, T.W. 2689 Kauai BISH 1988-01-15
37 Bothriochloa pertusa Palawai basin, old piggery dry, sunny, disturbed area on edge of parking area; only seen along roadsides in his area where it is not outcompeted by Urochloa maxima, but along the western end of the island, this species was dominant grass over the landscape at low elevations or on hardpan Preserved_Specimen Faccenda, K. 3179 Lanai BISH 2023-06-22
38 Bothriochloa pertusa South Point (Ka Lae), Kau district Growing with other exotics in grassland above shore. Preserved_Specimen Common grass 1.5 ft tall. Corn, C. 271 Hawaii BISH 1979-10-30
39 Bothriochloa pertusa Kau district, S of Pahala Weed along highway Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 5513 Hawaii BISH 1975-10-21
40 Bothriochloa pertusa Waipao Valley, north of Kokee Road Dominant grass in area Preserved_Specimen To 20 inches tall Flynn, T.W. 947 Kauai BISH 1984-11-21
41 Bothriochloa pertusa Waialae Nui Ridge, Along Aha Aina Place Growing in crack in curb Preserved_Specimen Allison, A. 3 Oahu BISH 2017-09-03
42 Bothriochloa pertusa Trail to Kaluiwaa (Sacred Falls), outside forest Reserve At base of footpath. Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Oahu BISH 1978-03-21
Back to Top