Edge/ Bead-grass

COMMON NAME: Bead-Grass

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Paspalum setaceum var. muhlengergii

FAMILY: Poaceae

COMMUNITY: Edge

STATUS: Native

LIFESPAN: Perennial

HEIGHT: Prostrate to erect 12 to 40 inches

FLOWERING TIME: July to October

FRUITING TIME: July to October

DISTRIBUTION: New Hampshire to Florida ~ Coastal Plains of New Jersey

IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: Short, knotty rhizomes ~ Tufted ~ Smooth stems ~ Leaves narrow ~ Seed numerous, rounded. Consider the often quoted rhyme when identifying grasses: “Sedges have edges, Rushes are round, Grasses have joints from their tips to the ground.”

GENERAL INFORMATION: The Poaceae family is commonly called the grass family.  The genus paspalum is a large group 250 species worldwide and 42 species in the United States.  The grasses in the paspalum genus resemble their close relative the Panicum grasses. The name paspalum is from the Greek paspale meaning “meal”. Bead-Grass has become a common weed in fields and disturbed sites and road sides. Bead-Grass has seeds along the stems which resemble beads.  The seeds are eaten by upland gamebirds, marshbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl and songbirds.  The plant is eaten by small mammals, hoofed browsers, and some waterfowl.

Please note: While harvesting wild berries/fruit is permitted at Island Beach State Park, visitors must adhere to park regulations at all times and must not damage vegetation or go off designated trails.  This information is presented for educational purposes.