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Useful Tropical Plants

Eragrostis ciliaris

(L.) R.Br.

Poaceae

+ Synonyms

Andropogon amboinicus (L.) Merr.

Cynodon ciliaris (L.) Raspail

Eragrostis amboinensis Trin. ex Steud.

Eragrostis amboinica (L.) Druce

Eragrostis arabica Jaub. & Spach

Eragrostis boryana (Willd.) Steud.

Eragrostis compta Link

Eragrostis lobata Trin.

Eragrostis pulchella Parl.

Eragrostis villosa Trin.

Erosion ciliare (L.) Lunell

Macroblepharus contractus Phil.

Megastachya boryana (Willd.) Roem. & Schult.

Megastachya ciliaris (L.) P.Beauv.

Poa amboinensis L.

Poa amboinica L.

Poa boryana Willd.

Poa ciliaris L.

Poa compta (Link) Kunth

Poa elegans Poir.

Poa elliptica Willd. ex Steud.

Poa lobata (Trin.) Kunth

Common Name:

Eragrostis ciliaris
Inflorescences
Photograph by: O. M. Montiel
Creative Commons License
Eragrostis ciliaris Eragrostis ciliaris Eragrostis ciliaris

General Information

Eragrostis ciliaris is a loosely clump-forming, annual to short-lived perennial grass, with erect or ascending, usually unbranched culms up to 60cm tall[
308
Title
Flora Zambesiaca
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
,
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

308
Title
Flora Zambesiaca
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.

Range

Tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, through the Indian Ocean and Arabia to E. Asia in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Vietnam, Philippines.

Habitat

Grassland on river banks and swamp margins, and on coastal and lake-shore dunes, in sandy soils; also a common weed of disturbed ground, old cultivation and roadsides; at elevations from sea-level to over 1,400 metres[
308
Title
Flora Zambesiaca
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
,
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Edibility Rating *  *
Medicinal Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitAnnual/Perennial
Height0.50 m
PollinatorsWind
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


The plant succeeds in sandy soils, even in pure coastal sands[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The plant is often found as a weed of cultivation[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Edible Uses

Seed - eaten as a cereal[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. It has good nutritional value[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. The seed is small and fiddly to utilize - it is most commonly seen as a famine food, used when nothing better is available[
299
Title
Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.prota.org
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].

Medicinal

The plant is reduced to ash, which is spread over cuts, burns and the like in order to clean them and promote healing[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The inflorescence, either in flower or in seed, is reduced to ash and, like the vegetative parts, is used for its curative properties, in this instance being mixed with castor-oil and applied to whitlows. Maturation is rapid[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
An infusion of the plant is taken as a treatment for stomach-pains[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Agroforestry Uses:

The wild plant is useful in helping to fix coastal sand dunes[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Other Uses

The straw is woven into mats for covering food, and also into a coarse cordage[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The longer culms may be bundled for sale as brooms or used as thatch[
332
Title
The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
Publication
 
Author
Burkil. H. M.
Publisher
Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
Year
1985 - 2004
ISBN
 
Description
Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ, only just covering the seed. Germination is usually very quick and free.
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Eragrostis%20ciliaris>

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