Rhodesian bluegrass
Andropogon gayanus

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

A grass that keeps growing from year to year. It forms tussocks. It grows 1.3 m high. The leaves can be woolly below. The grass has a blue-green colour. There are several varieties.

There are about 100 Andropogon species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows naturally on clayey and sandy soils. In Swaziland it is rare and in the low veld only. It grows between 400-1,500 m altitude. It can tolerate frost. It often grows over limestone materials. It can grow in acid, neutral and alkaline soils. It can tolerate shade and drought. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, Colombia, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Indochina, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sahel, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The seeds are eaten raw or cooked.

Edible parts

Seeds, grains, cereal

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Benempe, Bluegrass, Cabi, Cholongwe, Gamba grass, Tambuki grass

Synonyms

Andropogon appendiculatus var. polycladus (Hack.) Clayton; Andropogon squamulatus Hochst.; Andropogon gayanus Kunth var. squamulatus (Hochst.) Stapf;