Skip to main content

Aristida congesta

Roem. & Schult.

iNaturalist· cc-by-sa

(c) Tony Rebelo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Tony Rebelo

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc-sa

(c) David Hoare, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by David Hoare

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc-sa

(c) David Hoare, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by David Hoare

Aristida congesta (tassel three-awn, Afrikaans: Aapstertsteekgras) is a species of grass native to all provinces of South Africa as well as Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Mozambique. The SANBI Red List classifies it as "safe." SANBI mentions two subspecies: Aristida congesta Roem. & Schult. subsp. congesta Aristida congesta Roem. & Schult. subsp. barbicollis (Trin. & Rupr.) De Winter It is a thick perennial tussock that grows 10–75 cm high. The leaves can be flat or folded. The plumes are 3–20 cm long. The spikelets have uneven husks. The upper portion is the widest, at 6.5–10 mm. It can be found on deciduous woodland on rocky slopes and weathered areas.

Description

A subtropical grass in the family Poaceae. The seeds are harvested for food.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The seeds are cooked and eaten as a cereal.

Traditional Uses

The seeds are eaten cooked.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant.

Where It Grows

Africa, Bostwana, East Africa, Mozambique, South Africa, Southern Africa,

Synonyms

Aristida alopecuroides Hack.Aristida congesta var. megalostachya HenrardAristida congesta var. pilifera Chiov.Aristida elytrophoroides Chiov.Aristida longicauda Hack.Aristida rangei Pilg.Aristida tunetana Coss.Aristida tunetana var. intermedia MaireChaetaria congesta (Roem. & Schult.) Nees

References (3)

  • Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 87
  • 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
  • Youngblood, D., 2004, Identification and Quantification of Edible Plant Foods in the Upper (Nama) Karoo, South Africa. Economic Botany 58 (Supplement) :S43-S65

More from Poaceae