Eragrostis tremula

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A herb. It is an annual grass that forms loose tufts. It grows 30-100 cm high. The leaf blades are flat and 20 cm long by 5 mm wide. The flower panicles are oval and 7-30 cm long. They are very loose and open. The spikelets tremble on long fine stalks. The spikelets have 10-60 flowers. These are narrow and 5-25 mm long. The seed is about 0.5 mm long.

There are about 300 Eragrostis species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows on sandy soils. It grows in the savannah zone in West Africa. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 200-950 mm. It grows from sea level to 1,500 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Algeria, Angola, Asia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Himalayas, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The seeds are eaten when food is short. It is used in kreb a grain mixture eaten in Chad.

A famine food.

Edible parts

Seeds, cereal

How it is grown

It is grown from seeds. Seeds are hard and germinate better with seed treatment.

Plants grow quickly. Vegetative growth lasts for 19-35 days.

Its other names

Local names

Am dijankga, Bano, Bibirua, Buska, Chankam buti, Chiri-ka-khet, Chirka, Laki, Mama-cungoi, Sarahol, Sawarco-guerle

Synonyms

Eragrostis rachitricha Hochst, ex Miq.; Poa tremula Lam.;