Common Name: Coast Button Grass

General Information

Dactylotenium aegypticum is a glaucous annual with culms up to 70cm high, not stoloniferous, but often rooting from the lower nodes. The plant can form a mat with short underground stems[].
The seed is sometimes harvested from the wild for food, but generally only in times of scarcity. The plant also has local medicinal uses.

Known Hazards

The plant is rich in cyanogenetic glucosides at certain stages of growth times and, at that time, may be a danger to grazing stock[].

Botanical References

Range

Drier areas of Africa, E Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula, Afghanistan, India, Malaysia, Philippines

Habitat

A widespread weed of open situations, grassland, open woodland, common by roadsides, on waste ground; a weed of arable land, in shallow soils and can withstand some salinity, at elevations from sea level to 2,100 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of dry to moist tropical and subtropical areas, where it is found at elevations from sea level to 2,000 metres[]. It generally occurs in areas where the annual rainfall is in the range of 400 - 1,500 mm[].
Adapted to soils of a wide range of textures[]. Particularly well suited to disturbed areas on light-textured soils[].Tolerant of alkaline soils[]. Plants will not stand prolonged flooding[]. It is one of the most drought-resistant grasses because of its rapid growth and ability to produce seed each wet season, even if it is of short duration[].
The plant colonizes disturbed soils and can become a weed - it is classified as 'Invasive' in many countries[, ]. Although a valuable forage, it can also be a troublesome weed of cultivation[]. Despite its preference for a habitat with light soils and low moisture, it has been reported to be an important weed in many countries in the humid tropics[].

Edible Uses

Seed - ground into a flour and cooked[]. The grains are lightly roasted in a hot pot in order to soften them. The grain is then pounded or ground into flour, which is cooked into thin porridge, or ugali to be eaten with vegetables
or meat[]. The seed is sometimes used as a food grain in times of scarcity in India and Africa but is said to have an unpleasant taste and to cause internal disorders[]. Individual seeds are about 1mm long[].

Medicinal

The whole plant is used in a decoction to remedy lumbago[].

An infusion of the leaves, mixed with the seeds of Cajanus cajan, is used to accelerate childbirth[]. A decoction of the leaves, combined with Scoparia dulcis, is used as a remedy for dysentery[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in situ and protect the seed from predation by covering with branches or some other method[].

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