Wildland Weeds: Paragrass, Urochloa mutica

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Introduction When people think of Florida, one image that immediately comes to mind is water—whether the steady flow of waves on the coastal beaches or the morning mist rising from one of the state’s lakes or rivers. The state’s fresh waters include 7,700 lakes and ponds and 1,400 rivers and streams, covering a total of 1.5 million acres (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission [FWC] 2011). The state’s public waters are used for many purposes, including recreation, commerce, potable water, flood control, irrigation, habitat, ecotourism, and navigation. In short, water is a key component in the state’s ecological and economic well-being.