Brachiaria reptans

(L.) Gard. ex C. E. Hubbard

Fine armgrass

PoaceaeSeeds/NutsPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Seeds, Cereal

The grains are eaten when food is scarce and serve as a famine food.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. They occur on slightly better soils in medium rainfall areas.

Africa, Asia, Australia, East Africa, India, Northeastern India, Mozambique, Pakistan, St. Kitts and Nevis, Taiwan,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Angola, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bhutan, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, China, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Comoros, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritania, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Singapore, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Taiwan, Tanzania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

An annual grass. The base is creeping and there are several slender stems. The nodes have beards. The leaf sheaths are shorter than the internodes. They are hairy and loose. The leaf blades are short and 5-8 mm wide. They are rounded at the base and have crinkly edges. The flower stalk has several slender racemes. The spikelets are arranged in an irregular fashion. They are less than 3 mm long.

How to Grow

The plant is a weed of agricultural fields, moderately common amongst sugarcane, and also invades lawns and heavily-grazed pastures.

Medicinal Uses

Ashes from the whole plant are used as a treatment against snake bite. The rhizomes are diuretic. A paste made from the rhizome is used in the treatment of kidney problems.

Other Information

It is a famine food.

Notes

There are about 100 Brachiaria species.

Names & Synonyms

Shani pillu

Brachiaria prostrata (Lam.) Griseb.Brachiaria prostratum Lam.Panicum reptans Linn.Uruchloa reptans Stapf.

References (6)

Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 80
Flora of Pakistan. www.eFloras.org
Hooker's Icon. Pl. 34: t. 3363. 1938
Petheram, R.J. and Kok, B., 2003, Plants of the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. UWA Press p 69
Singh, H.B., Arora R.K.,1978, Wild edible Plants of India. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. p 84
Wild edible plants of Himachal Pradesh