Re: kikuyu, aka? (or St. Augustine Grass?)
At 09:44 AM 2/21/01 -0800, Jan Smithen wrote:
>P. clandestinum ? ! So ominous! Whoever named that monster was right on. It
>rapaciously spreads while you sleep!
>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>Jan Smithen,
>Upland, California
Here in California, St. Augustine Grass is a common turf grass and often
goes under the name of Kikuyu. It is Stenotaphrum secundatum (perhaps not
so scary a latin name). One of the big differences between this and tru
Kikuyu is that it is stoloniferous rather than rhizominous. St. Augustine
stolons are well known locally, where they climb up walls, in between
fenceboards or into hollow posts, only to sprout out somewhere high
up! You can grasp the stolons and pull them up from the ground, giving you
long ropes of the stuff. It make a tolerable turf, though very coarse. It
seems to like water, though it will endure some drought. Its virgorous
growth will smother everything around it, so it is not a good choice for
small home gardens with border beds or areas where less vigorous species
are planted. I have not seen it escape into wildlands, but would be
interested to hear if it has.
Roberto Burle-Marx, the famous Brazilian artist/landscape designer, once
planted a huge lawn of the regular green form of this plant along with the
white variegated form (sometime grown as a houseplant). The planting areas
were defined by some sort of benderboard border and each kept in its
respective place. The overall design was an abstract modern design,
undulating, and puzzle-like, the two tones of the grass creating the
effect. Quite stunning!
True Kikuyu (Pennisestum clandestinum) has pointed leaf blades which are
more open or flat that St Augustine Grass. They also have slightly hairy
stems and leaf sheaths. St Augustine Grass' leaf blades are rounded at
their tips, and not finely hairy on the blade, sheath, or stem, but they do
have a fringe of stout hairs on the sheath top, just below the leaf
blade. The sheath also tends to be compressed.
Regards,
Sean O.
h o r t u l u s a p t u s - 'a garden suited to its purpose'
Sean A. O'Hara fax (707) 667-1173 sean.ohara@groupmail.com
710 Jean Street, Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
