Taxon:  Leptochloa virgata (L.) P. Beauv.



Summary
Genus:
Leptochloa
Family:
Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)
Subfamily:
Chloridoideae
Tribe:
Cynodonteae
Subtribe:
Eleusininae
Nomen number:
21789
Place of publication:
Ess. Agrostogr. 71, 161, 166, t. 15, fig. 1.  1812
Comment:
combination made in index
Verified:
05/08/1996 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
4 (1  active, 1  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Cynosurus virgatus L.

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Cynosurus domingensis Jacq.
Leptochloa domingensis (Jacq.) Trin.

Images (4 total. Click on image for more.)
Inflorescence branch

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
  2. Beetle, A. A. 1977. Noteworthy grasses from Mexico V. Phytologia 37:362.
  3. CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
  4. CONABIO. Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad en Mexico. Sistema Integrado de Información Taxonómica (SIIT) (on-line resource).
  5. Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
  6. Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
  7. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  8. Gould, F. W. 1975. The grasses of Texas
  9. Harling, G. & B. Sparre, eds. 1973-. Flora of Ecuador.
  10. Hitchcock, A. S. 1950. Manual of the grasses of the United States, ed. 2.
  11. Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
  12. Lazarides, M. 1980. The tropical grasses of Southeast Asia
  13. León (J. S. Sauget) & Alain (E. E. Liogier). 1946-1969. Flora de Cuba
  14. Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. 1982. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis.
  15. McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
  16. Nowack, R. 1994. Revision of Leptochloa Beauv. (incl. Diplachne Beauv.) (Poaceae) in Malesia. Rheedea 4:90.
  17. Petersen, P. M. et al. 2012. A molecular phylogeny and classification of Leptochloa (Poaceae: Chloridoideae: Chlorideae) sensu lato and related genera. Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 109:1327. Note: mentions
  18. Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 1994. Catálogo de la familia Poaceae en la República Argentina. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 47
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishtropical sprangletop  1Nowack, R. 1994. Revision of Leptochloa Beauv. (incl. Diplachne Beauv.) (Poaceae) in Malesia. Rheedea 4:90.
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorthern MexicoMexicoSan Luis Potosí McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorthern MexicoMexicoTamaulipas McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouth-Central U.S.A.United StatesTexas FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSoutheastern U.S.A.United StatesFlorida FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoVeracruz de Ignacio de la Llave McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazil   
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanAntigua and Barbuda  Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanBahamas  Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanCuba  León (J. S. Sauget) & Alain (E. E. Liogier). 1946-1969. Flora de Cuba
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanGrenada  Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanGuadeloupeMarie Galante Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanHispaniola   
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanJamaica  Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanMartinique  Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanMontserrat  Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanNetherlands AntillesSaba  
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanNetherlands AntillesSt. Eustatius  
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanSt. Kitts and NevisSaint Kitts Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanSt. Lucia  Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanSt. Vincent and Grenadines  Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCaribbeanUnited StatesPuerto Rico  
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaBelize  Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaCosta Rica  Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaEl Salvador   
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaGuatemala  Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaHonduras  Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaNicaragua  Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
1NativeSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaPanama  Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
1NativeSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaArgentina  Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 1994. Catálogo de la familia Poaceae en la República Argentina. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 47
1NativeSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaParaguay   
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaBolivia   
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaEcuador   
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaPeru   
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalPapuasiaPapua New Guinea  Lazarides, M. 1980. The tropical grasses of Southeast Asia
Native
Northern America
  • SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida]
  • SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Texas]
  • NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas]
  • SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave]
Southern America
  • CARIBBEAN: Hispaniola, Netherlands Antilles [Saba, St. Eustatius], Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Cuba, Guadeloupe [Marie Galante], Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis [Saint Kitts], St. Lucia, Montserrat, Martinique, United States [Puerto Rico], St. Vincent and Grenadines
  • CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador
  • BRAZIL: Brazil
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru
  • SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Paraguay
Naturalized
Asia-Tropical
  • PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea

Reference(s)
  1. Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
  2. Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
  3. Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana.
  4. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
  5. Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
  6. Lazarides, M. 1980. The tropical grasses of Southeast Asia
  7. León (J. S. Sauget) & Alain (E. E. Liogier). 1946-1969. Flora de Cuba
  8. McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
  9. Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 1994. Catálogo de la familia Poaceae en la República Argentina. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 47
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Weed  CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
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=21789. Accessed 17 April 2026.