Common Name:

General Information

Eragrostis plana is a herbaceous, perennial, clump-forming grass without rhizomes or stolons; it produces unbranched culms up to 1 metre tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, mainly in times of need. It is considered to be an indicator of overgrazing or too much burning in pasture..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, S. Africa, Madagascar.

Habitat

Grassland on sandy soils and shallow laterite pans, in dry areas on wet soils around vleis and rivers, at elevations from 400 - 2,000 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.75 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

It has been introduced and has naturalized elsewhere, e.g. in India and Brazil[].

Edible Uses

Seed[]. Sometimes eaten as a cereal[]. Very small, generally less than 1mm long[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Its common occurrence in pastures is considered an indicator of overgrazing or too much burning[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ, only just covering the seed. Germination is usually very quick and free.

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