Famine grass
Sporobolus panicoides

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

An annual grass. It forms loose tufts. It grows 1 m high. The leaf sheaths are papery. The leaf blade is 5-30 cm long by 2-6 mm wide. It can be flat or rolled inwards. The flower panicle is 4-22 cm long. It is narrowly oval. It forms branches in a succession of rings. There are 1-4 spikelets per branch. The seeds or grains are 1.2-1.7 mm across. They are round.

There are about 160 Sporobolus species. They are mainly in the tropics and subtropics.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in dry sandy soil in shade near deciduous bushland. It also grows on seasonally wet soils. It grows between 90-1,250 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Arabia, Botswana, East Africa, Ethiopia, Malawi, Middle East, Mozambique, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Seeds, cereal, grains

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Sporobolus polyclados Hack.;