Sacciolepis interrupta
(Wild.) Stapf
Meise Botanic Garden
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
What to Eat
Edible parts: Seeds, Cereal
The grains are eaten, particularly during times of food scarcity.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It grows in swamps, shallow lakes and rice fields in Yunnan in S China. It can grow on clayey and sandy soils. It grows in wet grass savannah and temporary pools. It grows in water up to 1 m deep.
Africa, Asia, Bhutan, Botswana, Central Africa, Chad, China, East Africa, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A grass which grows in water. It grows vigorously. The shoots root and float in water. It is spongy, fleshy, hollow and smooth. It grows 20-50 cm tall. The stalk can be 1 cm across. The leaf sheaths are loose and papery. The leaf blades are narrow, flat and soft. They are 4-12 cm long by 0.3-0.6 cm wide The base ends abruptly and it tapers to the tip. The spikelets are light green.
Notes
There are about 30 Sacciolepis species.
Names & Synonyms
Guilguil, Jian xu nang ying cao, Modike hullu, Myet-win-poo, Nardula, Pakalia, Tandan pillu, Wolam
References (8)
- Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 538
- CRÉAC'H,
- Dalziel, J. M., 1937, The Useful plants of west tropical Africa. Crown Agents for the Colonies London.
- Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 26
- Poaceae Flora of China.
- D. Prain, Fl. trop. Afr. 9:757. 1920
- Singh, H.B., Arora R.K.,1978, Wild edible Plants of India. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. p 85
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
