Echinochloa pyramidalis
(Lam.) Hitchc. et Chase
Antelope grass
(c) Tony Rebelo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Tony Rebelo
(c) Tony Rebelo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
(c) Tony Rebelo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Seeds, Grains, Cereal, Culm - salt
Echinochloa pyramidalis is palatable to livestock and is cultivated for fodder, being able to withstand heavy grazing; it grows during the wet season, dying back to the base during the dry season, but will resprout vigorously after wildfires, even in the middle of the dry season. It can be made into hay, but for this purpose the glabrous varieties are chosen. The grain is sometimes used for human consumption. This grass can be used to prevent erosion on river banks prone to flooding and on earth dams. It can be used in a similar way to reeds for sewage control. Where it has become invasive, as for example in Mexico and Guyana, it reduces biodiversity and grows so vigorously that it displaces native plants.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It is a major part of the floating plants along the Nile and Niger Rivers. It is common in swamps throughout tropical Africa. It can grow in temperate places. It grows from sea level to 2,400 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. It grows in savannah.
Africa, Angola, Australia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guadeloupe, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Rwanda, Sahel, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South America, Southern Africa, St Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A tall swamp grass. It grows up to 5 m high. It is like a reed and keeps growing from year to year. It has rhizomes or underground stems. The stems are solid.
How to Grow
It can be grown by cuttings or tillers.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Echinochloa pyramidalis is a species of large grass, occurring naturally in flooded regions and beside lakes in tropical Africa and America, and introduced to various other countries. It is commonly known as antelope grass.
Other Information
It is a famine food.
Notes
The plant is useful for animal grazing especially in the dry season. There are about 35 Echinochloa species. They grow in tropical to warm temperate regions.
Names & Synonyms
Ahilava, Al foula, Al fula, Limpopo grass, Nhamiquinte
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