Pennisetum purpureum
Elephant grass, Napier grass

Non-Native in Florida

This invasive giant may appear bamboo-like with its stout, "woody" older stems. However, unlike bamboo, its leaves are very long. It often is a troublesome weed growing along dikes and ditches, in wet or "dry" soils.


Elephant grass is a NON-NATIVE grass. stems clump-forming, erect, to 12 ft. tall; leaf blades flat, to 2 1/2 ft. long, to more than 1 in. wide, long tapering, margin fine-toothed, midrib strongly ridged; ligules thin with hairy rims; inflorescence long, cylindrical, bottle-brush-like, tan, densely flowered and "bristly", to 12 in. long, to more than 1 in. wide, bristles to 1/2 in. long; spikelets in clusters of 2-3


For more information and pictures about elephant grass, as contained in the Langeland/Burks book, Identification & Biology of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas, download this Acrobat .PDF file.


The UF/IFAS Assessment lists plants according to their invasive status in Florida. View the list here.

Click here to see the herbarium specimen image of the UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA HERBARIUM DIGITAL IMAGING PROJECTS.

Home | Previous Page | Common Names |
CAIP-WEBSITE@ufl.edu
Copyright 2005 University of Florida