Paspalum notatum Flüggé (1810: 106)

Verloove, Filip, Gonçalves Silva, Juan J. & Leliaert, Frederik, 2024, Critical notes on grasses (Poaceae) of Madeira, Portugal, Phytotaxa 670 (1), pp. 1-17 : 6

Paspalum notatum Flüggé (1810: 106)

Specimens examined: PORTUGAL. Funchal , Marina, cracks in pavement, near lawn, 18 September 2021, F. Verloove 14149 ( BR) ; Santa Cruz , drive-out of VR1 motorway at crossing with Estrada de Santa Catarina ( ER207 ), lawn, commonly naturalized, 23 September 2021, F. Verloove 14113 ( BR) .

In addition to the two herbarium collections mentioned above, Paspalum notatum was occasionally seen elsewhere, for instance in Ponta do Sol (at the VE-3 roundabout) and in Santa Cruz (Gaula, bridge at crossing of VR-1 motorway and Estrada do Portinho). The species was certainly initially introduced on purpose, as a lawn grass (‘ Bahia Grass’), but very easily escapes wherever planted.

The narrow leaves (<0.4 cm wide) and relatively small spikelets (ca. 3.2 × 2 mm) of the Madeira plants are characteristic of var. saurae Parodi [syn.: P. saurae (Parodi) Parodi ], the taxon usually observed in southern Europe and Macaronesia (e.g. Carretero 1987, Verloove 2003, Verloove 2005b). The taxonomic value of this variety, however, is probably limited and plants with intermediate features are sometimes observed ( Zuloaga et al. 2004). In Macaronesia, this species was already known from the Canary Islands ( Verloove & Reyes-Betancort 2011, Siverio Núñez et al. 2013) and the Azores ( Silva et al. 2005). Muer et al. (2020) also recently reported it from the island of Madeira (Machico).