Bermuda grass, Indian goosegrass
Eleusine indica

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A tufted annual grass. It grows up to 0.6 m tall. It has many branches from the base and tough wiry stems. The stems are slender and flattened. The leaves are 17 cm long and 3-8 mm wide. The leaves are covered with a bluish-green bloom. They are folded. The flower spikes are divided like fingers on a hand except for one which is single and below. The flowers do not have stalks and the flower spikes are 4-15 cm long. The seed heads shatter at maturity dropping their seed.

It commonly becomes self sown and considered a problem in some situations. It has 2 sets of chromosomes compared to 4 in finger millet but it can cross with finger millet. It is used in Chinese medicine. There are 9 Eleusine species. They are mostly in tropical Africa.

Where it is found

It is mainly a tropical and subtropical plant. In the tropics it grows from sea level to 1800 m altitude. It tends to grow in places high in nitrogen. It grows on clayey soil. It can grow in arid places. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level. Tasmanian Herbarium. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, American Samoa, Angola, Antigua-Barbuda, Argentina, Asia (country/location of origin), Australia, Azores, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Britain, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canary Island, Caroline Islands, Central Africa, Central America, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo DR, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Chad, Chuuk, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Easter Island, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial-Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Europe, Fiji, France, French Guiana, FSM, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea, Laos, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marquesas, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Mexico, Micronesia, Middle East, Montserrat, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rotuma, Rwanda, Sahel, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Socotra, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, St Helena, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Tibet, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad-Tobago, Turkey, Türkiye, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uruguay, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wallis & Futuna, West Africa, West Indies, West Timor, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The seeds are used as food in times of food shortage. They are parched and ground into flour for cakes, porridge or gruel. It is used in kreb a grain mixture eaten in Chad. They are also used for alcoholic drinks. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. The young shoots are eaten. They can be eaten raw or steamed and eaten with rice.

It is a famine food. It is sold in local markets in China.

Edible parts

Seeds, shoots, cereal

How it is grown

It is mostly self sown from seed. Seed are spread in animal manure.

It Australia plants flower and fruit in April.

Its other names

Local names

Albali, Bticatchor, Butchuque, Caa pii, Capi, Capim-da-cidade, Capimde-pomar, Crowsfoot grass, Dande, Dulu, Fahitalo, Fatao, Fowl-foot grass, Godong ula, Goose grass, Grama carraspe ra, Grama de caballo, Gramillon, Huibinbi, Huk you, I puva, Jukut jampang, Kalassindra, Kalolo, Khai futun bobibia, Kinsali, Kodo ghans, Licoro, Lukata, Makar nachni, Mandla, Myet-thakwa, Nandia, Nin jin cao, Niu dun cao, Nya phak khuaai, Oxgrass, Pata de gallo, Pie de gallina, Rumput belulang, Rumput sambau, Rumput welulang, Sambau, Sarut, Se-gwa, Sikwaluku, Sin-myet, Sinngo-myet, Suket lulangan, Ta'ata'a, Thippa ragi, Wire grass, Ya tin ka

Synonyms

Cynosurus indicus L.; Eleusine domingensis Sieber ex Schult.;