Rottboellia cochinchinensis

Rottboellia cochinchinensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Poaceae. This grass is known by the common names Itchgrass, Raoul grass, corngrass, Kokoma grass, Guinea-fowl grass, jointed grass, Shamwa grass and Kelly grass. It is a tall, tufted annual grass whose stems (culms) grow up to 3 metres (9 ft 10 in) in height with leaf-blades of up to 45 centimetres (1 ft 6 in) in length. The species flowers at the apex of culms in the form of spike-like racemes composed of paired spikelets. The common name Itchgrass comes from the bristly (hispid) leaf-sheath which can be irritating to the skin. Rottboellia cochinchinensis is native to tropical Asia and Africa and has also been introduced to the Americas where it is often considered to be an invasive species. It is a major weed of a wide range of crops including maize, rice, sorghum and sugar cane.

Description

A grass. It is a robust annual plant. It is erect and can be 3 m high. The stems are stiff and have few branches. There are lumpy bristles near the base. There can be stilt roots. The leaves are flat and 1.8 cm wide. They taper to a long fine point. There are sharp spiny hairs along the edges. The spike is simple, straight and 15 cm long. The spikelets are pressed closely.

Edible Uses

The seeds are eaten as a cereal grain.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in disturbed land and waste places but also forms extensive grasslands across West Africa. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bahamas, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America, Chile, China, Congo, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Jamaica, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South America, Southern Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Timor-Leste, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seeds.

Notes

There are 4 Rottboellia species.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Caminadora Caminhadora, Canterum, Iam-iali, Kalim, Mesengere, Okalim, Pasto quebradizo, Quita chaco, Sabim

References (13)

• Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 2. Kew.
• Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 72
• Gallagher, D. E., 2010, Farming beyond the escarpment: Society, Environment, and Mobility in Precolonial Southeastern Burkina Faso. PhD University of Michigan.
• Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 73 (As Rottboellia exaltata)
• Kew Bull. 35:817. 1981

More from Poaceae

Dinebra retroflexa

Mother of Lines

Dinochloa andamanica

Dinochloa dielsiana

Distichlis palmeri

Palmer saltgrass

Distichlis spicata

Perennial saltgrass, Seashore saltgrass

Eccoilopus cotulifer