Saccharum spontaneum L. (1771)

Saccharum arenicola Ohwi, Bull. Tokyo Sci: Mus. 18: 2. 1947.
 Saccharum spontaneum L. var. roxburghii Honda., Bot. Mag. Tokyo 37: 302. 1924; Monogr. 395. 1930.
 Saccharum spontaneum var. roxburghii Honda, Bot. Mag. Tokyo 39: 1925; Hsu, Fl. Taiwan 5: 691. 1978

Global Range: Naturally occurs in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Old World. Its distribution extends from Algiers through Azerbaijan to Japan in the north, and from Mozambique to the islands of Fiji in the south. It is a common plant in India, less so in South-east Asia and somewhat rare in the Meditteranean and African areas (Panje 1970). Distribution includes Tahiti the Caroline islands (Fosberg and Sachet 1982), the Middle East, China, Taiwan, Malaysia and through the Pacific to New Guinea (Purseglove 1972). It is unknown to what extent the species may have been introduced by humans to the Pacific islands (Fosberg and Sachet 1982). Occurs on the west side of Peña Blanca Peninsula, Barro Colorado Island, Panama (Croat 1978). Known from Panama where established along the Carretera Interamericana in the General Valley. Only one Costa Rican collection was acknowledged by Pohl, 1983, for Province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica (Buenos Aires: Pohl 14191). Introduced into Puerto Rico for breeding purposes; persistent in wet places near the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico (Paijmans 1976).

Population: A common and widespread species in the old world tropics. Population Trend: Stable

Comments: Most commonly found on sandy alluvial belts, flood basins of rivers, banks of ponds and freshwater streams, waterlogged lowlands, border-ridges of fields, edges of forests and wasteland in natural habitat (Panje 1970). Common on river banks, damp depressions and swamps as a fire disclimax grassland (Paijmans 1976 in Skerman and Riveros 1990). In New Guinea, covers large areas on alluvial plains and fans mainly in regions which have a low and markedly seasonal rainfall. There it is imperfectly to well drained, and conditions of soil moisture are relatively favourable throughout the year. Pioneers on well drained sites on outwash fans subject to frequent brief flooding. Also occurring on shallow stony soil in regions with a low and markedly seasonal rainfall which may be subject to waterlogging of short duration (Paijmans 1976). In Australia occurs in flat plains, loam to clay loam soil which is moist to wet (Singh etal. 1970). In Hawaii most abundant in sandy soils with adequate moisture or in open clayey areas with uniformly distributed rainfall (Sison and Mendoza 1993).