Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. undulatifolius
Encyclopedia
(Wavyleaf basketgrass) is a foreign grass that has been accidentally introduced into Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, USA and appears to have the potential of becoming extremely invasive. This grass, native to southern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and southeastern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
(Peterson et al. 1999) has been found growing at two areas in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and two in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
One of the Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
areas is around Liberty Reservoir
Liberty Reservoir
The Liberty Reservoir is a reservoir in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland. It is owned by the City of Baltimore Department of Public Works, but is located outside of the city, and it divides Baltimore and Carroll Counties.-History:...
and the northern section of the Patapsco River
Patapsco River
The Patapsco River is a river in central Maryland which flows into Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore...
in Baltimore, Carroll
Carroll County, Maryland
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 167,134. It was named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton , signer of the American Declaration of Independence. Its county seat is Westminster....
and Howard Counties
Howard County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.2% White*17.5% Black*0.3% Native American*14.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*2.0% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. The other area is in Prince Georges County at the Little Paint Branch Park http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=39.0422222222&lon=-76.9319444444&u=2, the adjacent Beltsville Agricultural Research Center-East and the National Greenbelt Park
Greenbelt Park
Greenbelt Park, located in Greenbelt, Maryland, is managed by the United States National Park Service. The forested park lies approximately 10 miles northeast of Washington, D.C., and is situated just within the Capital Beltway . The park land was originally intended to form part of the green...
. Volunteers have been diligently working to destroy the Prince Georges County population, while the eradication of the Liberty Reservoir-Patapsco Valley population is still in the planning stage (January 2008).
In Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, the Wavyleaf basketgrass has been found growing in a 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) site in the Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the U.S. state of Virginia. This national park is long and narrow, with the broad Shenandoah River and valley on the west side, and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont on the east...
, and in a 20-30 acre site at the Fraser Preserve along the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
in Fairfax County. http://virginiaforests.blogspot.com/2008/11/wavyleaf-basket-grass-invasive-exotic.html
Oplismenus hirtellus subsp. undulatifolius is a shallow rooted perennial with stolons that may grow to several feet in length. In Maryland, the leaves of overwintering plants become brown and dead, but in the Spring, new growth begins at the upper nodes of the stolons. In early Fall, the sticky awns readily adhere to anything that brushes against them which makes for an effective mode of dispersial.
External links
- Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland. Invader of the month (August 6, 2007); Wavyleaf basketgrass, (Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. undulatifolius).http://www.mdinvasivesp.org/archived_invaders/archived_invaders_2007_08.html
- Wavyleaf Basketgrass, Wildlife and Heritage Service, Maryland Department of Natural Resources. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/WLBG/index.asp
- Wavy-leaf Basket grass Eradication at BARC. http://www.ars.usda.gov/sp2UserFiles/Place/12000000/e-Update/e-update_Oct07.pdf
- Virginia Forests: Wavyleaf Basket Grass, an Invasive Exotic, Found in Virginia. http://virginiaforests.blogspot.com/2008/11/wavyleaf-basket-grass-invasive-exotic.html
- Maryland Chapter of Sierra Club: Wave Goodbye to Wavy Leaf Basketgrass. http://maryland.sierraclub.org/action/p0141.asp
- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Wave bye-bye to wavyleaf basketgrass by Karl Blankenship. http://www.bayjournal.com/article.cfm?article=3302
- Maryland has become ground zero for a new invasive species threat, wavyleaf basketgrass, by Jill Rosen. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-10-22/features/bs-ae-wavyleaf-basketgrass-20111021_1_invasive-species-seeds-wavyleaf-basketgrass
- Vanessa Beauchamp, video on Wavyleaf Basketgrass (22 Oct. 2011) http://www.baltimoresun.com/videogallery/65267714/Environment/Invasive-grass-concerns-scientists
- Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, and surrounding areas by Alan S. Weakley (Page 897). http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/WeakleysFlora.pdf
- Wavyleaf Basketgrass Task Force Listserv https://www.nbii.gov/lists/cgi-bin/wa?INDEX