Stenotaphrum secundatum
St. Augustine Grass, St. Augustine turf-grass, buffalo grass, pimento grass
Description: winter annual
Place of origin: southern North America and South America
Urban habitat: commonly found in minimally maintained lawns, cultivated gardens, topsoil stockpiles, disturbed sites, wetland edges, drainage ditches, and near marshes.
Ecological function: erosion control; food for wildlife and livestock.
History: Native to the Americas, Stenotaphrum secundatum is common in west Africa and is widely naturalized in other parts of the world. Native Hawaiians used the grass to treat skin ulcers, as a pediatric medicine, and to arrest excessive menstrual bleeding.