Luziola subintegra

Common Name: Tropical American watergrass

Family: Poaceae

Common Synonyms: None

USDA Hardiness Zone: NA

Growth Habit: Emergent Aquatic

Origin: Mexico, Central America, Caribbean Basin, South America to Argentina

FISC Category: 1

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: No

Introduction Date: 2007

IFAS Assessment:

• North: INVASIVE
• Central: INVASIVE
• South: INVASIVE

Description

Robust emergent or submergent grass. Leaves inflated and broad blades to 7 mm wide. Male and female spikelets on different panicles. Male panicle terminal and female one axillary. Spikelet solitary, stalked.

Habitat

Lakes, rivers, creeks, marshes, prairies

Comments

Vouchered from Dade and Glades Counties. Spreads vegetatively and by seed.

Control Methods

• Manual: NA
• Chemical: Foliar (96 fl oz/ac/year aquatic imazapyr). Imazapyr provides best control 9-12 months after treatment under dry and flooded conditions. However, repeat treatments when dry should include glyphosate (2% glyphosate+ 0.5% imazapyr). Do not use imazapyr where forested overstory occurs. [IFAS]
• Biological: NA

Control Notes

No specific treatments available but species is being tested for herbicide efficacy with Fluridone herbicide (Lake Okeechobee Interagency Task Force). **Follow herbicide labels: Only herbicides registered for application in water by EPA and FDACS may be applied to weeds growing in or near water.

References

Clayton, W.D., M.S. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman, H. Williamson. 2006 onwards. GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. http://www.kew.org/data/grasses-db.html. Accessed on December 17, 2013.

Kunzer, J.M. and M.J. Bodle. 2008. Luziola subintegra (Poaceae: Oryzeae), New to Florida and the United States. Journal of Botanical Research Institute of Texas 2(1): 633-638.

IFAS, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. 2013.Tropical American water grass. http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/679. Accessed on December 9, 2013.

Lake Okeechobee Interagency Task Force. 2011. Lake Okeechobee Interagency Task Force Meeting Proceedings. http:/www.floridainvasives.org/okeechobee12-14-11IAMeetingMinutes.pdf