Paspalum dilatatum Poir.

Raab-Straube, Eckhard von & Raus, Thomas, 2025, Euro + Med-Checklist Notulae, 18, Willdenowia 55 (1), pp. 107-144 : 124

Paspalum dilatatum Poir. (≡ Digitaria dilatata (Poir.) H. J. Coste ≡ P. moluccanum Huber , nom. illeg. superfl.) – Fig. 13.

A Cm: Crimea: Alupka, Alupkinsky Park, contrast meadow, 44°25'24"N, 34°03'34"E, 60 m, lawn near path, 4 Nov 2023, Kashirina (photos: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/196001320); ibid., 15 Jan 2024, Yevseyenkov (YALT; photos: https://www.plantarium.ru /page/image/id/796237.html,https://www.plantarium.ru /page/image/id/796239.html); ibid., 13 Jul 2024, Yevseyenkov (photos); ibid., Nikita, Nikitsky Botanical Garden, year-round flowering garden, 44°30'35"N, 34°14'04"E, 115 m, weed in flowerbed, 4 Jul 2024, Yevseyenkov (photo [ Fig. 13]). – Paspalum dilatatum is native to South America and widespread as an alien in many subtropical and tropical regions of the world, where it often naturalizes ( Randall 2017; POWO 2024r; Valdés & Scholz 2009 +). The localities of this species closest to Crimea are on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. It is probably from there that it was accidentally introduced in recent years with ornamental plants or in lawn seed mixtures. Several dozen individuals of P. dilatatum have been found in two large parks in Alupka and Nikita. For now, this species is considered a casual alien. In Crimea, another alien species of this genus has been known to occur since 1950, P. distichum L., which is still rare there. Paspalum dilatatum differs from the latter particularly in its larger size, greater number and length of racemes, and the shape and pubescence of the upper glume (Clayton 1980).

E. Kashirina & P. E. Yevseyenkov