Common needle grass, Sixweeks threeawn
Aristida adscensionis

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

An annual herb or bristle grass. It can grow 1 m high. The stalks are rounded. It has a tight leaf sheath. The leaf blade is narrow and has a long point. The flowers is a narrow group or spiklets each with 3 awns. The sharp seeds are shed when ripe.

It is a rough grass for grazing on poor soils.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. In Zimbabwe it grows below 600 m. It needs a rainfall above 250 mm. It is often on sandy soils. In China it grows on dry mountain slopes and along river banks between 200-1,800 m above sea level. In Argentina it grows between 200-4,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, America, Argentina, Asia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Central Asia, Chile, China, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Marquesas, Mediterranean, Mozambique, Myanmar, North Africa, Pacific, Paraguay, SE Asia, Senegal, Somalia, Southern Africa, South America, St. Kitts and Nevis, Tajikistan, USA, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

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How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Maadweyd, Sekotovolo, Tinleh

Synonyms

Aristida curvata (Mez) Jacq.-Fel.; Aristida guineensis Trin. & Rupr.; Aristida submucronata Schumach.; and many others