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Panicum infestum

Andersson ex Peters

Grooved panic-grass

Poaceae Edible: Seeds, Cereal, Grains

Description

A grass. It is tufted and keeps growing from year to year It grows 1.5 m tall. It can form roots at the lower nodes. The leaves are loosely hairy. The blades are expanded. The flowering shoot is 20 cm long. It has spike like branches. The spikelets are 3-3.5 mm long.

Edible Uses

The seeds are used as a cereal grain.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows below 1,200 m above sea level. It grows in dry soils. It is rare in Swaziland. It can grow in arid places.

Where It Grows

Africa, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Also Known As

Chibabane

References (5)

  • Herb., E. A., 1981,
  • Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 24
  • Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 3rd June 2011]
  • Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora
  • World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

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