Willdenowia – Annals of the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem
ISSN 0511-9618
© 2007 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem.
Verloove, F. & Reynders, M. 2007: Studies in the genus Paspalum (Paniceae, Poaceae) in Europe – 1. Paspalum distichum subsp. paucispicatum, an overlooked taxon in France.
Willdenowia 37: 199-204.
doi:10.3372/wi.37.37109
Abstract
The present paper reports about the naturalization of the Mexican grass species Paspalum paucispicatum in the Loire valley in France. The species has long been confused with and erroneously referred to as P. dilatatum, P. distichum, P. longipilum or P. pubiflorum. A revision of several relevant herbaria enabled us to reconstruct the species’ invasion history in France. Main diacritic features are given and an identification key for Paspalum in France is presented. P. paucispicatum, of a debated taxonomic rank in its area of origin but clearly delimited in France, is probably better treated as a subspecies of P. distichum; hence the new combination at subspecific level is validated.
Key words
Gramineae, grasses, Paspalum paucispicatum, taxonomy, Mexico, neophytes.