Stink grass, Smelly lovegrass
Eragrostis cilianensis

Family: Poaceae

What it is like

An annual grass. It forms tufts. It grows to 60 cm high. It has an unpleasant smell. The leaf blades are 8 mm wide. They have small dark glands along the edge. The flower panicle is narrow. It is 5-20 cm long. There is a dark ring of glands on the axis below the lower branches of the flower. The spikelets are narrow and 6-18 mm long. There are 10-30 flowers.

There are about 300 Eragrostis species.

Where it is found

It grows in subtropical and warm temperate places. It often gets established in poor open pasture. It grows between sea level and 2,000 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 3,000 m above sea level. Tasmanian Herbarium.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Azores, Balkans, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Caucasus, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Central Asia, Chad, Chile, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Czech Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Europe, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indochina, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Lord Howe Island, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Moldova, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Sahel, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Senegal, Slovakia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Sri Lanka, St Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, West Africa, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The seeds are used for making bread and also for beer. They are also used for porridge.

It is a famine food.

Edible parts

Seeds, cereal

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bettada akabu hullu, Ginchile, Kaodia, Ranpohe, Samba lani, Tsimbony

Synonyms

Briza eragrostis Linn.; Poa cathectica Schumach. Poa cilianensis All.; Poa megastachya Koel.; Eragrostis major Host.; Eragrostis megastachya (Koel.) Link; Eragrostis multiflora (Forrsk.) Asch. var. glandulifera Chiov.; Eragrostis pappii Gand.; Erogrostis polysperma Peter; Eragrostis schweinfurthiana Jedwabn.;