Oplismenus undulatifolius (Ard.) P. Beauv.
Detail
- Family
- Poaceae
- Botanical Name
- Oplismenus undulatifolius (Ard.) P. Beauv.
- Common Name
- Wavyleaf Basketgrass, Wavyleaf Grass
- Synonym(s)
- Oplismenus hirtellus (L.) P. Beauv. ssp. undulatifolius (Ard.) U. Scholz
- Flora of Virginia Name/Status
- Oplismenus undulatifolius (Ard.) P. Beauv.
- Comments
- The first North American records of this Eurasian grass were documented in Maryland in 1997 and 2000. Since then, it has become a rampant forest weed at a number of Maryland sites. The size of some populations discovered in Virginia since 2005 indicates that the species has been locally established but undetected for some time. Its sticky-glandular spikelets and its perennial stoloniferous habit favor quick dispersal and local spread once established at a site. It is now spreading southward rapidly and can be expected to become a widespread invasive in forest habitats. Despite a multi-agency effort at early detection and eradication, populations in new areas are being discovered with increasing frequency. The current map certainly does not represent the full distribution of this taxon in the state; voucher specimens from all populations are needed.
- Habitat
- Mesic upland forests (both disturbed and undisturbed), well-drained stream bottoms, and shaded clearings. First discovered in Virginia in 2005, it is now known from many counties in the northern half of the mountains and Piedmont. It was recently discovered along the New River in southwestern Virginia, and in several Coastal Plain counties, suggesting that undetected populations may exist across the entirety of the state.
- Native Status
- Introduced
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