''Paspalum repens'', known as horsetail paspalum or water paspalum, is a species of

grass Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and spe ...

native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...

to South America, Central America, and North America. It is often called ''Paspalum fluitans'', though this name is treated as a synonym of ''P. repens'' in

Kew Kew () is a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Its population at the 2011 census was 11,436. Kew is the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens ("Kew Gardens"), now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace. Kew is ...

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

database and the

Flora of North America The ''Flora of North America North of Mexico'' (usually referred to as ''FNA'') is a multivolume work describing the native plants and naturalized plants of North America, including the United States, Canada, St. Pierre and Miquelon, and Greenla ...

project. It is an obligate wetland species, often found submersed or floating in shallow water bodies or on the edges of rivers. It grows to be about a foot tall, with lance shaped leaves, spongy air-filled stems, and often a reddish tint. Inflorescence takes the form of spikelets.

Wildlife value

''Paspalum repens'' has a medium protein content; it is highly palatable for both browsing and grazing animals and is a favored food of

Manatee Manatees (, family (biology), family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivory, herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing t ...

References

repens Flora of Southern America Flora of Northern America {{Panicoideae-stub