Mother of Lines
Dinebra retroflexa

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

An annual grass. It forms tufts which are straggling. These lie over and root at the nodes. The leaf blades are narrow and flat. It is green or purplish green and 50 cm high. The leaf blades are narrow and flat. They are 3-25 cm long by 0.3-0.5 cm wide. They taper to the tip. The flowerings stalk is 6-20 cm long and narrowly oblong and open. The flower is made up of many spikes all turned to one side and irregularly arranged.

There are 3 Dinebra species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in dry valleys up to 1150 m in Yunnan in China. It grows on clayey soil. It grows in drier places. It does best in slightly alkaline soils.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Burkina Faso, Central Africa, Chad, China, East Africa, Egypt, Eswatini, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, North Africa, Pakistan, South Africa, Southern Africa, St Helena, Swaziland, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Seeds, cereal, grain

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Am danabé, Kali kauli, Kharia, Nari balada ganduhullu, Wadata toka gaddi, Wan sui cao

Synonyms

Cynosurus retroflexa Vahl; Dinebra brevifolia Steudel; Dinebra retroflexa var. brevifolia (Steudel) T. Durand & Schinz.; Dinebra arabica Jacq.; Dactylis paspaloides Willd.; Leptochloa arabica (Jacq.) Kunth;