Melinis repens (Willd.) Zizka

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Annual or short-lived perennial up to 90 cm high; leaves not aromatic

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle ovate to oblong, (6–)8–15 cm long, fluffy, silvery-pink or purple

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets ovate, 2–12 mm long, usually villous with hairs extending 1–4 mm beyond the tip; lower glume narrowly oblong, (0.6–)1.5–3(–4.3) mm long, distant from the upper; upper glume thinly 5-nerved, conspicuously gibbous, chartaceous, tapering to a glabrous membranous beak 1/4–1/2 its length, emarginate, mucronate or with an inconspicuous awn up to 7(–10) mm long; lower lemma resembling the upper glume but narrower and less gibbous.

Morphology General Habit

Annual, or perennial; short-lived; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20-150 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 5-30 cm long; 2-10 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 5-20 cm long. Panicle branches capillary. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; sinuous; glabrous, or ciliate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; gibbous; 2-12 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes (0.2-1.7 mm long).

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; gibbous; 2-12 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes (0.2-1.7 mm long).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; (0.3-)0.6-3(-4.3) mm long; 0.1-0.4 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0-1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface villous. Lower glume hairs white, or purple. Lower glume apex emarginate, or truncate. Upper glume ovate; gibbous; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or villous; hairy below. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliate. Upper glume hairs white, or purple. Upper glume apex lobed; 2 -fid; rostrate; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0-7(-10) mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; gibbous; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; much thinner above; 5 -veined; glabrous, or villous; hairy below; ciliate on margins; bearing white hairs, or purple hairs; bearing hairs 2-6 mm long; lobed; 2 -fid; rostrate; mucronate, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 0-7(-10) mm long. Palea of lower sterile floret pilose. Fertile lemma oblong; laterally compressed; 2-2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex emarginate. Palea cartilaginous; without keels.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Stigmas laterally exserted.

Distribution

Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

Reference

Paniceae. FTEA.

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Andean, Orinoquia. Elevation range: 0–2500 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Arauca, Boyacá, Caldas, Cesar, Cundinamarca, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Risaralda, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.

Habit

Herb.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology

Alt. 0 - 2500 m.

Morphology General Habit

Herb.

Distribution

Introduced and naturalised in Colombia.

Conservation

Not Evaluated.

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Naturalizada y adventicia en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2500 m.; Andes, Orinoquia, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

Conservation

No Evaluada

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

grama seda, paja brillante, paja rosada, pajillita rosada, pasto brillante, pasto natal, pasto rosado

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Tufted annual; culms often decumbent at base, rooting freely at the lower nodes, 30–100 cm tall; leaf-blades flat, 5–15 cm long, 2–7 mm broad, nearly glabrous; sheath hairy especially just below the junction with the blade and on the nodes; ligule represented by a line of hairs 1 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a showy red-purple panicle 10–15 cm long; spikelets ca. 5 mm long, covered with long silky hairs.

Distribution

Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac. Native of Africa; introduced into the West Indies.

Ecology

Now widespread and common along roadsides and in fields.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit

Annual 60–90 cm. high

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicles fluffy, silvery white to pink.

Ecology

A weed of old farmland.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit

Annual or loosely tufted perennial; culms 30–100 cm. high, erect or ascending.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades flat or folded, 5–30 cm. long, 2–10 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle ovate to oblong, 5–20 cm. long, fluffy, silvery pink or purple; pedicels usually pilose at the tip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets ovate, 2.5–8.5 mm. long, villous with hairs extending 1–4 mm. beyond the tip; lower glume narrowly oblong, 0.3–3.5 mm. long, separated from the upper by an internode 0.1–1.2 mm. long; upper glume conspicuously gibbous, chartaceous, tapering to a glabrous membranous beak 1/4–1/2 its length, emarginate, mucronate or with an inconspicuous awn up to 7(–10) mm. long; lower floret male or barren, its lemma narrower and less gibbous than the upper glume, its palea ciliate on the keels.

Figures

Fig. 125.

Habitat

A weed of disturbed places and old farmland, often forming extensive stands; 0–2500 m.

Distribution

K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 P T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 throughout Africaintroduced to most other tropical countries

Use Medicines

Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016).

Use

A somewhat useful pasture grass on poor soils, it is also cultivated in some countries to make dry bouquets.