Taxon: Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) Clayton

Summary

Genus:

Rottboellia

Family:

Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)

Subfamily:

Panicoideae

Tribe:

Andropogoneae

Subtribe:

Rottboelliinae

Nomen number:

310370

Place of publication:

Kew Bull. 35:817. 1981

Verified:

01/13/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

7 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

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

Basionym
Stegosia cochinchinensis Lour.

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Manisuris exaltata Kuntze
Rottboellia exaltata L. f.

Images (2 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Plants of southern Africa: an online checklist.
University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Boonman, J. G. 1993. East Africa's grasses and fodders: their ecology and husbandry. 136. Note: = Rottboellia exaltata L. f.
Brummitt, R. K. 1985. Report of the Committee for Spermatophyta: 29. Taxon 34:659-660. Note: proposal to conserve Rottboellia exaltata L. f. 1782 not recommended
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
Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Gibbs-Russell, G. E. et al. 1990. Grasses of southern Africa. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa vol. 58
Giraldo-Cañas, D. 2011. Catálogo de la familia Poaceae en Colombia. Darwiniana 49:139-247.
Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984-. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim.
Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds Note: = Rottboellia exaltata L. f.
Holm, L. G. et al. 1977. The world's worst weeds: distribution and biology. Note: = Rottboellia exaltata
Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
Plant Protection and Quarantine Office. United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Federal noxious weed list (on-line resource).
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Seed Regulatory and Testing Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S.D.A. State noxious-weed seed requirements recognized in the administration of the Federal Seed Act (updated annually).
Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
Simon, B. K. 1982. (667) Proposal to conserve the species name Rottboellia exaltata L. f. (Poaceae). Taxon 31:564-565.
Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
Tovar, Ó. 1993. Las gramíneas (Poaceae) del Perú. Ruizia 13:456.
Villaseñor, J. L. & F. J. Espinoza-Garcia. 2004. The alien flowering plants of Mexico. Diversity & Distrib. 10:113-123.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
2018. Mid-Atlantic invasive plant species (on-line resource)

Common names

Language	Name	note	seq	Citation
English	guinea-fowl grass		1	Gibbs-Russell, G. E. et al. 1990. Grasses of southern Africa. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa vol. 58
English	itch grass		1	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
English	Kelly grass		1	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
English	kokoma grass		1	Gibbs-Russell, G. E. et al. 1990. Grasses of southern Africa. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa vol. 58
English	Raoul grass	as Rottboellia exaltata	1	Holm, L. G. et al. 1977. The world's worst weeds: distribution and biology. Note: = Rottboellia exaltata

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Kenya
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Uganda
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Ethiopia
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Somalia			Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Sudan
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Botswana		n.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Eswatini			Plants of southern Africa: an online checklist.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Namibia			Plants of southern Africa: an online checklist.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	KwaZulu-Natal		Plants of southern Africa: an online checklist.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Transvaal		Plants of southern Africa: an online checklist.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Benin
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Burkina Faso
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Côte D'Ivoire
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Gambia
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Ghana
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Guinea
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Liberia
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Nigeria
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Sierra Leone
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Cameroon
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Equatorial Guinea
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Fujian Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangdong Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guizhou Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hainan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Sichuan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Yunnan Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Zhejiang Sheng		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan	Ryukyu Islands
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India			Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Nepal
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Sri Lanka			Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Indochina
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Myanmar
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Thailand
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Indonesia
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Malesia	Malaysia
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	New South Wales	e.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Northern Territory	n.
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Queensland
4	Naturalized	Northern America		Mexico			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Illinois	s.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Missouri		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Oklahoma		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas		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	Arkansas		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida		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	Mississippi		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	North Carolina		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	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Utah	n.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Caribbean	West Indies			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Belize			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Honduras			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Panama			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Northern South America	French Guiana			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Northern South America	Suriname			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Bolivia			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Colombia			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Peru			Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.

Native
Africa

NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia
EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea
WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana (n.), Namibia, Eswatini, South Africa [KwaZulu-Natal, Transvaal]

Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China [Fujian Sheng, Guangdong Sheng, Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu, Guizhou Sheng, Hainan Sheng, Sichuan Sheng, Yunnan Sheng, Zhejiang Sheng]
EASTERN ASIA: Japan [Ryukyu Islands], Taiwan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal
INDO-CHINA: Indochina, Myanmar, Thailand
MALESIA: Indonesia, Malaysia

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia [New South Wales (e.), Queensland, Northern Territory (n.)]

Naturalized
Northern America

NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Illinois (s.), Missouri, Oklahoma]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Texas]
SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [California, Utah (n.)]
REGION: Mexico

Southern America

CARIBBEAN: West Indies
CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: French Guiana, Suriname
BRAZIL: Brazil
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina

Reference(s)

Plants of southern Africa: an online checklist.
Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:546.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds Note: = Rottboellia exaltata L. f.
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	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=310370. Accessed 12 May 2026.