Introduced as a pasture species or a contaminant in grass seed. Can form dense infestations in disturbed areas.
Dense growth can smother young trees.
Seed, rooting from nodes. Tropical and subtropical America from southern US to Peru, widely cultivated and naturalized. Naturalized in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory in high rainfall tropical and sub-tropical coastal areas. Common in riparian vegetation and coastal sand dune vegetation near Brisbane. Candidate species for preventative control.