''Brachiaria mutica'' (''Urochloa mutica'') is a species of grass known by the common names para grass, buffalo grass, Mauritius signal grass, pasto pare, malojilla, gramalote, parana, Carib grass, and Scotch grass.Stone, Katharine R. 2010 ''Urochloa mutica''. In: Fire Effects Information System, nline U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.''Urochloa mutica''. Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce. Despite its common name California grass, it does not occur in California;''Urochloa mutica''. USDA Plants Profile. it is native to northern and central Africa and parts of the Middle East, where it is cultivated for
fodder
Fodder (), also called provender (), is any agriculture, agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, domestic rabbit, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food g ...
. It was introduced elsewhere and it is now cultivated throughout tropical regions of the world for this purpose.
Description
Para grass is a vigorous, semi-prostrate perennial grass with creeping stolons which can grow up to long. The stems have hairy nodes and leaf sheaths and the leaf blades are up to wide and long. It roots at the nodes and detached pieces of the plant will easily take root in moist ground. The flower-head is a loose
panicle
A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...
up to long with spreading branches. The paired spikelets are arranged in uneven rows and are elliptical and long. The rachis is tinged with purple. Although many flower-heads grow, only a few viable seeds are produced, and propagation is usually by vegetative means.''Urochloa mutica''. USDA Forest Service Weed of the Week. Para grass can be distinguished from the closely related tanner grass (''
Brachiaria arrecta
''Brachiaria'', or signalgrass, is a genus of plants in the grass family native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, southern Europe, the Americas, and various islands. It was introduced into Central America but has largely been superseded there by other species of ''
Brachiaria
''Brachiaria'', or signalgrass, is a genus of plants in the grass family native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, southern Europe, the Americas, and various islands.Queensland. By a few decades later it had become naturalised in much of southern Asia and on many Pacific islands, but is confined to its preferred habitat of poorly drained, swampy land. Along with tanner grass, it is planted as a fodder grass in seasonally flooded or swampy habitats, and in ponds in pastures, but it can block irrigation ditches and drains. When used as forage for cattle it is usually controlled by the action of the animals, so it does not become too weedy. When it grows in other habitats, however, it can become noxious. It is aggressive and can form dense stands. It may also have
allelopathic
Allelopathy is a biological phenomenon by which an organism produces one or more biochemicals that influence the germination, growth, survival, and reproduction of other organisms. These biochemicals are known as allelochemicals and can have ben ...
effects on other plants, preventing their growth.''Urochloa mutica''. Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, University of Florida.
This species may have been introduced to the Americas on slave ships, on which it was used for bedding. It was in South America by the early 1800s and Mexico by 1872. It was introduced to Florida by the late 1870s to be used as fodder. It has since escaped cultivation in many areas and it now grows as a widespread weed. It is sensitive to
frost
Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
so it generally does not persist outside warm regions.
Uses
Para grass is mainly cultivated to feed livestock as it makes a high quality forage for ruminant animals.
Invasive species
The plant is an
invasive species
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim comprises the lands around the rim of the Pacific Ocean. The ''Pacific Basin'' includes the Pacific Rim and the islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Rim roughly overlaps with the geologic Pacific Ring of Fire.
List of co ...
countries.
Australia
The plant has invaded the northern and north-western areas of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
has the potential to spread further inland. It is present in Kakadu National Park. In Australia, this grass forms vast stands, destroying waterfowl nesting habitat and displacing native plants.''Urochloa mutica''. National Weeds Strategy.''Urochloa mutica''. FloraBase: The Western Australian Flora.
United States
In Florida this grass grows in various wetland habitat types, such as marshes and floodplains, as well as disturbed areas such as roadsides. In Hawaii this grass is widespread, especially in freshwater wetlands and in red mangrove (''Rhizophora mangle'') stands. It is thought to be a cause of the decline of the rare Hawaiian endemicBoyd's maiden fern (''Thelypteris boydiae'').
In Media
The plant's California Grass name is mentioned in the
Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
song "
Get Back
"Get Back" is a song recorded by the British rock band the Beatles and Billy Preston, and written by Paul McCartney though credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969 and credited to ...
" as the plant the protagonist Jojo is looking for, which can also be interpreted as a reference to cannabis.