Aleman Grass. German grass
Echinochloa polystachya

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

Echinochloa polystachya is a PERENNIAL growing to 2 m (6ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil and can grow in water.

Height (m): 2

Where it is found

Aleman grass is an aquatic or semi-aquatic perennial grass. It forms dense stands in swampy areas and along banks of watercourses.

Native to North America, Mesoamerica, South America. Naturalized in Tropical and southern Africa, tropical Asia, southern South America and Hawaii. Introduced to northern Australia but not widespread.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Native to North America: Mexico, USA - Florida, Louisiana, Texas. Mesoamerica: Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama. Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago. South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay. Native to swamps, lake shores and wet-lands. Naturalized in: Tropical and southern Africa, tropical Asia, southern South America and Hawaii. Introduced to northern Australia but not widespread.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 4

Carbon Farming Solutions - Industrial Crop: biomass (Crops grown for non-food uses. Industrial crops provide resources in three main categories: materials, chemicals, and energy. Traditional materials include lumber and thatch, paper and cardboard, and textiles).

Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels

Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

New Crop: Most new crops were important wild plants until recently, although some are the result of hybridization. They have been developed in the last few, decades. What they have in common is that they are currently cultivated by farmers. Examples include baobab, argan, and buffalo gourd.

Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels

Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

New Crop: Most new crops were important wild plants until recently, although some are the result of hybridization. They have been developed in the last few, decades. What they have in common is that they are currently cultivated by farmers. Examples include baobab, argan, and buffalo gourd.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

How it is grown

Climate: warm temperate to tropical. Humidity: humid. Tolerates a wide range of soil fertility, but prefers soils of medium to high fertility. Grows in clay soils. It is adapted to soil pH 4.0–8.0 and has some resistance to sodicity . Very tolerant of poor drainage. Its natural habitat is seasonally flooded wetlands, but can grow under very high rainfall (>1,900 mm) conditions. Generally no growth under dry conditions unless there is a high water table, but re-establishes from stems and stolons with subsequent flooding. Normally grown in water to 1 m depth but can persist for short periods in deeper water to 3 m. Grows best in wet or seasonally flooded areas, where flooding can occur for 7–12 months of the year. No frost tolerance. Full sunlight . Aleman grass is a high yielding species with average DM yields of 8-12 t/ha in South America and 10-20 t/ha in Australia. It was reported to yield as much as 99 tons DM/ha in Brazil. In Australia, it has been introduced to enhance the productivity of Para grass stands. In India it was reported to yield much higher green biomass, dry matter and crude protein than Para grass. Carbon Farming Solutions - Cultivation: new crop. Management: hay. (Describes the non-destructive management systems that are used in cultivation).

Propagating it: Aleman grass spreads vegetatively when broken stems, runners and roots are moved in water.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist, wet, water

Things to keep in mind

Aleman grass has been recognised as a serious crop weed in India, Mexico and Argentina. In southern USA, it is a significant weed of rice crops and crayfish production. It is also considered a weed in Hawaii, Sri Lanka, Chad and Zaire. In Australia, infestations have occurred in Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and northern New South Wales (NSW), where aleman grass has invaded seasonally flooded areas, swamps and the banks of watercourses.

Its other names

Local names

Aleman grass, German grass (Australia, Panama); Creeping river grass (North America); Pasto alemain (Venezuela); Pardegrao, Prasigrasi (Surinam)

Synonyms

Echinochloa spectabilis (Nees) Link. Oplismenus polystachyus Kunth. Oplismenus spectabilis (Trin.) Kunth. Orthopogon hirsutus Spreng. ex Steud. [Invalid]. Panicum bonplandianum Steud. Panicum phyllanthum Steud.Panicum polystachyum (Kunth) Steud. [Illegitimate]. Panicum spectabile Nees ex Trin. Pseudechinolaena spectabilis (Nees ex Trin.) Herter