Brachiaria deflexa

Description

A wild millet grass. It is similar to Brachiaria ramosa. It grows each year from seed. It is a loosely tufted annual grass. It grows 15-70 cm high. The leaf blades are narrow and 4-25 cm long by 4-22 mm wide.

Edible Uses

Seeds are used as a cereal and the plant is occasionally grown as a food crop.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in the savannah in Africa. It is sown in the Futa Jalon Highlands in West Africa. It is rare in Swaziland. It is common at medium to low altitudes in Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe it grows up to 1,290 m above sea level. It can grow in light shade. Plants grow on clayey soils.

Where It Grows

Africa, Asia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Chad, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Middle East, Mozambique, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Senegal, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Prefers a slightly shady location. Grows best in a well-drained, fertile soil. Established plants are drought tolerant. The plant is a common weed of cultivation within its native range, being found in arable land, under plantation crops and in flower gardens. Some types mature in as little as 70 - 75 days, but most types take 90 - 130 days to reach maturity. The plant can be considered as one of the ‘kreb’ group of grasses, which includes species such as Echinochloa pyramidalis and Panicum turgidum. These species occur in the Sahel region and are collected for human consumption, especially in times of food shortage. The plant is somewhat similar to another grain crop, Digitaria exilis, though this species grows faster than D. Exilis, but requires a richer soil and better drainage. The wild plant shows some variability, and in the Fouta Djallon area on the Guinea-Mali border a cultivar is grown that is non-shattering.

Other Information

It is occasionally grown as a food plant.

Notes

There are about 100 Brachiaria species.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Ahipody, Ahipotsy, Kamdallah, Naheke-reke

References (20)

• Abbiw, D.K., 1990, Useful Plants of Ghana. West African uses of wild and cultivated plants. Intermediate Technology Publications and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. p 26 (As Pseudobracharia deflexa)
• Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 63
• Bull. Jard. Bot. Etat 9:181. 1932
• Busson, 1965,
• CRÉAC'H (As Brachiaria regularis)

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