Taxon: Cortaderia selloana (Schult. & Schult. f.) Asch. & Graebn.

Summary

Genus:

Cortaderia

Family:

Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)

Subfamily:

Danthonioideae

Tribe:

Danthonieae

Nomen number:

11618

Place of publication:

Syn. mitteleur. Fl. 2(1):325. 1900

Verified:

07/06/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

12 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Basionym
Arundo selloana Schult. & Schult. f.

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Cortaderia argentea (Nees) Stapf

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Berkenbrock, I. S. 2011. Cortaderia selloana. Campim-dos-pampas. In: Coradin, L. et al., Espécies nativas da flora brasileira de valor econômico atual ou potencial: plantas para o futuro: região Sul 748-751. Note: mainly used as ornamental, it is also suggested for erosion control but it can also become invasive
Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1326.
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Hammel, B. E. et al., eds. 2003-. Manual de plantas de Costa Rica Note: occasionally cultivated
Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12
Herrera-Arrieta, Y. 2001. Las Gramíneus de Durango
Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
Howell, C. J. & J. W. D. Sawyer. 2006. New Zealand naturalised vascular plant checklist
Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
Linder, H. P. et al. 2010. A generic classification of the Danthonioideae (Poaceae). Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 97:342.
Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
Rosengurtt, B. et al. 1970. Gramineas Uruguayas 219.
Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986-2000. European garden flora.
Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 1994. Catálogo de la familia Poaceae en la República Argentina. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 47

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	pampas grass	1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Afrikaans	pampasgras	2	Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12
Afrikaans	silwergras	2	Parsons, W. T. & E. G. Cuthbertson. 1992. Noxious weeds of Australia Inkata Press, Melbourne, Australia.
French	herbe de la pampa	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1326.
German	Pampasgras	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen 2:1326.
Portuguese (Brazil)	cana-dos-pampas	2	Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)	cana-tinga	2	Berkenbrock, I. S. 2011. Cortaderia selloana. Campim-dos-pampas. In: Coradin, L. et al., Espécies nativas da flora brasileira de valor econômico atual ou potencial: plantas para o futuro: região Sul 748-751. Note: mainly used as ornamental, it is also suggested for erosion control but it can also become invasive
Portuguese (Brazil)	capim-dos-pampas	2	Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)	capim-penacho	2	Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)	cortadeira	2	Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)	paina	2	Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)	palha-de-penacho	2	Berkenbrock, I. S. 2011. Cortaderia selloana. Campim-dos-pampas. In: Coradin, L. et al., Espécies nativas da flora brasileira de valor econômico atual ou potencial: plantas para o futuro: região Sul 748-751. Note: mainly used as ornamental, it is also suggested for erosion control but it can also become invasive
Portuguese (Brazil)	penacho	2	Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)	pluma	2	Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)	tiririca	2	Berkenbrock, I. S. 2011. Cortaderia selloana. Campim-dos-pampas. In: Coradin, L. et al., Espécies nativas da flora brasileira de valor econômico atual ou potencial: plantas para o futuro: região Sul 748-751. Note: mainly used as ornamental, it is also suggested for erosion control but it can also become invasive
Swedish	pampasgräs	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil	Paraná		Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil	Rio de Janeiro		Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil	Rio Grande do Sul		Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil	Santa Catarina		Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil	São Paulo		Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 1994. Catálogo de la familia Poaceae en la República Argentina. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 47
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Chile			Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Uruguay			FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Jiangsu Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Zhejiang Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
2	Cultivated	Australasia	New Zealand	New Zealand			Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
2	Cultivated	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica			Hammel, B. E. et al., eds. 2003-. Manual de plantas de Costa Rica Note: occasionally cultivated
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Portugal	Azores		Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Portugal	Madeira Islands		Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Macaronesia	Spain	Canarias		Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Northern Africa	Libya			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Africa	Northern Africa	Tunisia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Eastern Cape		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Gauteng		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	KwaZulu-Natal		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Mpumalanga		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Western Cape		Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
4	Naturalized	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Reunion			Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Azerbaijan			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Georgia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia	New South Wales		George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Queensland	s.e.	George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia	South Australia	s.e.	George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Tasmania		George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Victoria		George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
4	Naturalized	Australasia	New Zealand	New Zealand			Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Northern Europe	United Kingdom			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Italy	Sardegna		Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Slovenia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France		incl. Corsica	Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Portugal			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Northern America		United States			FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Oregon		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Washington		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	New Mexico		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Alabama		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Georgia		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Louisiana		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	South Carolina		Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Arizona		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	California		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Pacific	North-Central Pacific	United States	Hawaii		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Chile	Juan Fernández Islands		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).

Native
Southern America

BRAZIL: Brazil [Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo]
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay

Cultivated
Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China [Jiangsu Sheng, Zhejiang Sheng]
EASTERN ASIA: Taiwan

Australasia

NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand

Southern America

CENTRAL AMERICA: Costa Rica

Naturalized
Africa

MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias], Portugal [Azores, Madeira Islands]
NORTHERN AFRICA: Libya, Tunisia
SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa [Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Western Cape]
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Reunion

Asia-Temperate

CAUCASUS: Azerbaijan, Georgia

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia [Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland (s.e.), South Australia (s.e.), Victoria]
NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand

Europe

NORTHERN EUROPE: United Kingdom
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Italy [Sardegna], Slovenia
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain, France (incl. Corsica), Portugal

Northern America

NORTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Oregon, Washington]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [New Mexico]
SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Arizona, California]
REGION: United States

Pacific

NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]

Southern America

SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Chile [Juan Fernández Islands]

Reference(s)

Allan, H. H. B. et al. 1961-. Flora of New Zealand.
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Forzza, R. C. et al., coord. Lista de espécies da flora do Brasil (on-line resource).
George, A. S., ed. 1980-. Flora of Australia.
Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
Hammel, B. E. et al., eds. 2003-. Manual de plantas de Costa Rica Note: occasionally cultivated
Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 1994. Catálogo de la familia Poaceae en la República Argentina. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 47

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Animal food	fodder	in New Zealand	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Environmental	erosion control		Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Environmental	ornamental		Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986-2000. European garden flora.
Environmental	ornamental		Berkenbrock, I. S. 2011. Cortaderia selloana. Campim-dos-pampas. In: Coradin, L. et al., Espécies nativas da flora brasileira de valor econômico atual ou potencial: plantas para o futuro: região Sul 748-751. Note: mainly used as ornamental, it is also suggested for erosion control but it can also become invasive
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=11618. Accessed 15 April 2026.