Sporobolus indicus
(L.) R.Br.
Poaceae
Agrostis compressa Poir.
Agrostis elongata Lam.
Agrostis indica L.
Agrostis tenacissima Jacq.
Agrostis tenuissima Spreng.
Axonopus poiretii Roem. & Schult.
Sporobolus angustus Buckley
Sporobolus berteroanus (Trin.) Hitchc. & Chase
Sporobolus exilis (Trin.) Balansa
Sporobolus jacquemontii Borhidi
Sporobolus jacquemontii Kunth
Sporobolus lamarckii Desv. ex Ham.
Sporobolus minor Trin. ex Kunth
Sporobolus poiretii (Roem. & Schult.) Hitchc.
Sporobolus pyramidatus (Lam.) Hitchc.
Vilfa angusta Buckley
Vilfa berteroana Trin.
Vilfa exilis Trin.
Vilfa familiaris Steud. ex Lechler
Vilfa indica (L.) Trin. ex Steud.
Vilfa jacquemontii (Kunth) Trin.
Vilfa rupestris (Kunth) Trin.
Vilfa rupestris Trin.
Vilfa tenacissima (L.f.) Kunth
Common Name: Smut Grass
General Information
Sporobolus indicus is usually a rather densely tufted, perennial, slender, wiry grass with erect, branched stems up to 1 metre tall[
345- Title
- Minor Products of Philippine Forests
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brown. W. H.
- Publisher
- Bureau of Forestry, Manilla.
- Year
- 1920
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A useful guide to some of the plants of the area, though terse on details. The book is out of copyright and can be legally downloaded from the Internet.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its straw, which is woven into various items. The seed has occasionally been used for food.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
50- Title
- Flora Europaea
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1964
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
,
154- Title
- Flora of Victoria.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ewart. A. J.
- Publisher
- University Press; Melbourne
- Year
- 1930
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.
Range
Widespread in subtropical to tropical areas of Europe and Asia; S. America through Central America, the Caribbean and southern N. America
Habitat
Found in poor dry soils in Australia[
154- Title
- Flora of Victoria.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ewart. A. J.
- Publisher
- University Press; Melbourne
- Year
- 1930
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.
]. Waste places, roadsides etc in the Philippines[
345- Title
- Minor Products of Philippine Forests
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brown. W. H.
- Publisher
- Bureau of Forestry, Manilla.
- Year
- 1920
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A useful guide to some of the plants of the area, though terse on details. The book is out of copyright and can be legally downloaded from the Internet.
]. Savannahs, dry hills, fields and waste places in Panama[
368- Title
- Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Volume 30
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1943
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains parts of the Flora of Panama.This, and other volumes of the series, are available for download from the Internet.
].
Properties
| Weed Potential | Yes |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 0.75 m |
| Pollinators | Wind |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Succeeds in warm temperate to tropical areas.
Succeeds in any well drained soil in a sunny position[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The plant has become naturalised in many areas outside its original range. It spreads well in areas where there is traffic and the soil has been compacted and is particularly aggressive in wet and swampy soils[
].
Edible Uses
Seed - raw or cooked. It can be ground into a flour[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].
Medicinal
The plant is used to enrich the blood, reduce swellings and correct gonorrhoea[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
]. It is considered to be an antifertility drug in some countries[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
].
Other Uses
A fibre is obtained from the leaves[
156- Title
- Useful Wild Plants in Australia.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
- Publisher
- William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- 0-00-216441-8
- Description
- A very readable book.
].
The tough culms are used for making hats and other items that can be woven from straw[
345- Title
- Minor Products of Philippine Forests
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brown. W. H.
- Publisher
- Bureau of Forestry, Manilla.
- Year
- 1920
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A useful guide to some of the plants of the area, though terse on details. The book is out of copyright and can be legally downloaded from the Internet.
,
454- Title
- Useful Fiber Plants of the World
- Publication
-
- Author
- Dodge C.R.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- USDA; Washington.
- Year
- 1897
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
Propagation
Seed - sow in situ and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks.
Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
