Eragrostis plana
Nees
Ox grass, Tough love-grass
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(c) David Hoare, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by David Hoare
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(c) rona_blom1, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) rona_blom1, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A grass that keeps growing from year to year. It grows 1 m high. It forms dense tufts. The leaf sheaths at the base overlap and are flattened.
This description is brief — help expand it
Edible Uses
The seeds are used for making bread and beer. The roots are eaten as a snack.
Traditional Uses
The seeds are used for making bread and also for making beer. The roots are eaten as a snack.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
It grows in tropical and subtropical places. In Zimbabwe it grows up to 2,000 m altitude.
Where It Grows
Africa, Asia, East Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, SE Asia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Cultivation
It has been introduced and has naturalized elsewhere, e.g. in India and Brazil.
Propagation
Seed - sow in situ, only just covering the seed. Germination is usually very quick and free.
Other Uses
Its common occurrence in pastures is considered an indicator of overgrazing or too much burning.
Other Information
A famine food.
References (6)
- Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 301
- Long, C., 2005, Swaziland's Flora - siSwati names and Uses http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 87
- van Wyk, Be, & Gericke, N., 2007, People's plants. A Guide to Useful Plants of Southern Africa. Briza. p 10
- Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
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- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
