Genus: Cortaderia
Life
> eukaryotes >
Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
>
Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering
plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Poales
> Family: Poaceae
There are 24 species worldwide (native to South
America, New Zealand and New Guinea) of which two, Cortaderia jubata (Pampas grass,
Pampasgras) and Cortaderia selloana (Pampas
grass, Pampasgras, Silwergras) have been cultivated and
naturalised in southern Africa. The commoner of the two species is Pampas
grass, which has been grown in gardens and in the
past was misguidedly used for vegetative reclamation of mine dumps. Both
species are now declared Category
1 invader plant in South Africa and hence can no longer be cultivated
and you have to remove them from your land. However, land users are
permitted to grow sterile cultivars of Pampas grass. .
Species naturalised in southern Africa
List from
Plants
of Southern Africa - an Online Checklist (SANBI) and
Flora of Zimbabwe.
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