Carpet grass

Carpet grass (Axonopus fissifolius (Raddi) Kuhlm.) is a rhizomatous, stoloniferous perennial pasture grass. It forms dense mats that are 15-30 cm high but the flowering culms may reach 60-75 cm. This shallow-rooted species (almost 90% of the roots are at a depth of 0-5 cm) develops short rhizomes and stout stolons with short internodes. The general habit is erect and branching. The stems root at the nodes. The leaves are 5-28 cm long and 4-8 mm broad, flat or folded, glabrous or sparsely hairy on the lower face. The slender inflorescences bear 2-3 spike-like racemes, which are 2-10 cm long. The spikelets are about 2 mm long, alternatively arranged on the rachis. The seed (grain) is an ellipsoid caryopsis, tan to pale brown in colour. Though Axonopus fissifolius is supposed to have narrower leaves than Axonopus compressus, these closely related species cannot be easily distinguished from one another due to hybridization and variability in leaf width.
Carpet grass is usually grazed rather than used in cut-and-carry systems, due to its slow growth and poor yields. It is valued as a cover crop and turf grass in moist, low fertility soils. Some commercial cultivars exist.