Alien Grasses of South Africa

A quick guide to the alien grasses of South Africa for SANBI Alien interns

Cortaderia richardii

Austroderia richardii, syn. Cortaderia richardii, is a species of flowering plant in the family Poaceae. The genus Austroderia is often called "pampas grass", though this name usually refers to A. selloana. "Early pampas-grass" is a more specific name. The name "tussock grass" may also be found. The Maori name is "toetoe".

Cortaderia jubata

Cortaderia jubata is a species of grass known by several common names, including purple pampas grass and Andean pampas grass. It is similar to its more widespread relative, the pampas grass Cortaderia selloana, but it can get quite a bit taller, approaching seven meters in height at maximum.

Cortaderia selloana

Cortaderia selloana, commonly known as pampas grass, is a flowering plant native to southern South America, including the Pampas region after which it is named. There are around 25 species in the genus Cortaderia.

Edited by Tony Rebelo and ingridnanni, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)