Cogongrass: Attacking the Southeast US

CAMILLA, Ga. (AP) -- A botanical invader could be more of a scourge than kudzu, the Japanese vine smothering everything in its path.

The Forest Service says cogon grass has established a beachhead in the Southeast. Cogon is on every continent except Antarctica.

Experts warn that given enough time, Cogon grass could turn the Southeast into a biological desert -- a grassy savanna devoid of all native species.

Officials are trying to stamp it out, or at least stop its invasive spread.

The plant is ranked among the world's ten most dangerous weeds. It has displaced African nomads and taken over clearings in Asian forests used for centuries to grow crops.

Cogongrass: http://www.cogongrass.org