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Re: Oliver's Lawn Substitutes

>`St. Augustine is a versatile, sod forming, warm season turfgrass
>that is native to the West Indies.  It has been widely distributed
>and is most frequently found in Mexico, Africa, Australia, the
>southern portions of the U.S. and the Mediterranean areas.'
>
>           James Beard  - `Turfgrass Science and Culture'
>
>Hugo,
>
>    I looked through several of my reference books but none of them
>mentioned the genesis of the name for St. Augustinegrass
>{ Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze}.
>
>Mike Tentis
>
>Western Region Turf Specialist
>Medalist America Turfgrass Seed
>Sacramento, CA

        It seems a reasonable guess that St. Augustine derives its name
somehow from the Florida city of the same name.  About 80% of all the
*Stenotaphrum* used in the States is used in Florida.  I'm going to ask our
local turf guru, Dr. Ali Harivandi, if he knows the name origin.
        I'm fascinated to hear people in Australia and France speak of
Kikuyugrass(*Pennisetum clandestinum*) as a ground cover.  In California
Kikuyu is probably the most feared weed of turf managers in the state.  One
tiny piece adhering to the wheel of a lawnmower can mean hundreds of
dollars in turf renovation costs for a golf course or park manager.
Glyphosate(Roundup) is, in my experience only marginally effective against
any sizeable stand of the dreaded, hairy Kikuyu.  Golf course people around
here use fumigation to rid themselves of this pest.
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