Home > Plants > Grasses

Updated 5/5/2024

Family Poaceae

Grasses

Grasses have cylindrical flowering stalks, sedges are triangular in cross-section.  Many species are difficult to identify without careful examination of flowers & seeds. 

HAWAII - ENDEMIC

Eragrostis variabilis   

KAWELU

 

 Trisetum glomeratum  

MOUNTAIN PILI

 
Deschampsia nubigena  

HAIRGRASS

 

 Cenchrus agrimonoides

KAMANUMANU  

 

HAWAII - INDIGENOUS

Sporobolus virginicus

'AKI'AKI

 

 Heteropogon contortus

PILI

 

HAWAII - POLYNESIAN INTRODUCTION

Saccharum officinarum

SUGARCANE        KO

 

HAWAII - NATURALIZED

 

Sporobolus indicus

SMUTGRASS

 

 Stenotaphrum secundatum 

ST. AUGUSTINE GRASS

 
Setaria verticillata  

BRISTLY FOXTAIL

 

 Cenchrus ciliaris  

BUFFELGRASS

 
Melinis repens  

NATAL REDTOP

 

 Cenchrus echinatus  

COMMON SANDBUR

 
Urochloa maxima  

GUINEA GRASS

 

 Chloris barbata  

SWOLLEN FINGERGRASS

 
Holcus lanatus

COMMON VELVET GRASS

 

 Echinochloa colona

JUNGLE-RICE

 
Dactyloctenium aegyptium  

BEACH WIREGRASS

 

 Setaria palmifolia  

PALMGRASS

 
Paspalum fimbriatum 

COLUMBIA GRASS

 

 Coix lachryma-jobi

JOB'S TEARS

 
 

Oplismenus hirtellus

BASKET GRASS

 

 Urochloa mutica  

CALIFORNIA GRASS

HAWAII - CULTIVATED

Gigantochloa atroviolacea

GIANT BLACK BAMBOO

 

 Bambusa vulgaris

COMMON or GIANT YELLOW

CLUMPING BAMBOO

 

Cymbopogon citratus

LEMONGRASS