St. Augustine grass, Stenotaphrum secundatum, is a perennial hardy grass used for pastures and lawns similar to bermudagrass.

St. Augustine grass is a coarse textured, stoloniferous species that roots at the nodes. Unlike bermudagrass, St. Augustine grass does not have rhizomes. Its stems (stolons) and overlapping leaf sheaths are generally compressed; leaf blades generally folded, abruptly contracted at the base, rounded at the tip, and smooth; ligule is reduced to a short fringe of hairs; collar is petioled and the sheath greatly compressed and ciliate along the margins. Inflorescences mostly terminal, some also axillary, spike like (corky) racemes and spikelets imbedded in main axis; each raceme bearing 1-3 spikelets; spikelets lanceolate or ovate, awnless and sessil; glumes membranous, the lower glume less than half as long as spikelet; lower floret staminate, upper floret complete and caryopsis ovate to oblong, 2.0-3.0 mm long, often failing to mature. ^*

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• Texas A&M

Lawn Grasses