Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz.) S.T.Blake

First published in Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland 80: 62 (1969)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical & Subtropical Old World. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as animal food and a medicine and has environmental uses.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial; culms 50–150 cm. high, erect from a shortly rhizomatous base, often robust.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades 10–55 cm. long, 2–12 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence with a central axis 4–20 cm. long, the racemes numerous and borne loosely or densely in irregular whorls upon simple or branched peduncles; racemes 2–5 cm. long (the lowest shorter than the central axis), pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Sessile spikelet narrowly elliptic, 3–4 mm. long; lower glume chartaceous, ± hairy below the middle, usually not glossy, with or without a pit; awn 10–25 mm. long. Pedicelled spikelet glabrous, with 0–3 pits.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet narrowly elliptic, 3–4 mm. long; lower glume chartaceous, ± hairy below the middle, usually not glossy, with or without a pit; awn 10–25 mm. long.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet glabrous, with 0–3 pits.
Habitat
Streamsides, swamp margins and cracking clays; 0–1500 m.
Distribution
Old World tropics K1 K2 K4 K7 P T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T8 U1 U2
[FTEA]

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. 500 - 2500 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology
Alt. 500 - 2500 m.
Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Distribution
Introduced and naturalised in Colombia.
Conservation
Not Evaluated.
[UPB]

Gramineae, T. A. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:4. 2002

Morphology General Habit
Caespitose perennial of variable habit; culms up to 100 cm high, rather straggling, the nodes glabrous, the internodes terete or channelled on one side; leaf sheaths barbate at the base; ligule membranous; leaf laminas up to 30 cm × 10 mm, almost glabrous, tapering gradually to a slender apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence paniculate, with numerous slender branches 2–5 cm long on a common axis 3–10 cm long; lowermost branches sometimes themselves branched; spikelets usually dark purple or flushed with purple; rhachis internodes and pedicels pilose with hairs up to 2.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Sessile spikelet 3–4 mm long, barbate at the base; inferior glume pilose below the middle on the back, rarely glabrous, rigidly ciliate on the margins above, depressed along the middle, with a deep or shallow pit in the upper part, the pit sometimes absent in some spikelets, rarely absent altogether; superior glume lanceolate, the margins sparsely ciliate above or glabrous, depressed along both sides of the keel, the keel scabrid above; inferior floret empty, the lemma oblong, obtuse, glabrous; superior floret epaleate, with stipitiform lemma; awn 10–18 mm long, geniculate, glabrous; anthers c. 1.5 mm long. Pedicelled spikelet usually smaller than the sessile spikelet and reduced to 1 or 2 glumes, rarely well developed and with the inferior glume pitted.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet 3–4 mm long, barbate at the base; inferior glume pilose below the middle on the back, rarely glabrous, rigidly ciliate on the margins above, depressed along the middle, with a deep or shallow pit in the upper part, the pit sometimes absent in some spikelets, rarely absent altogether; superior glume lanceolate, the margins sparsely ciliate above or glabrous, depressed along both sides of the keel, the keel scabrid above; inferior floret empty, the lemma oblong, obtuse, glabrous; superior floret epaleate, with stipitiform lemma; awn 10–18 mm long, geniculate, glabrous; anthers c. 1.5 mm long.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet usually smaller than the sessile spikelet and reduced to 1 or 2 glumes, rarely well developed and with the inferior glume pitted.
[FZ]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 500–2500 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Boyacá, Tolima.
Habit
Herb.
[UPFC]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 50-150 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10-55 cm long; 2-12 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme, or composed of racemes. Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; 2-5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 4-20 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip transverse. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; flattened; with a translucent median line (also present in internodes); ciliate.
Sterile
Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; comprising 2 subequal glumes without lemmas, or containing empty lemmas; linear; 2.5-3 mm long; shorter than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes without depressions, or pitted (1-3 pits); glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3-4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse; attached transversely. Companion sterile spikelets well-developed; comprising 2 subequal glumes without lemmas, or containing empty lemmas; linear; 2.5-3 mm long; shorter than fertile; persistent. Companion sterile spikelet glumes without depressions, or pitted (1-3 pits); glabrous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3-4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus pilose; base obtuse; attached transversely.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels; keel-less except near apex. Lower glume surface flat; without pits, or pitted; pilose; hairy below. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-keeled. Upper glume margins ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 2.5 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma linear; hyaline; without keel; 1 -veined. Lemma apex entire; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn geniculate; 10-25 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.
Distribution
Africa: Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, and western South America.
Reference
Andropogoneae. FTEA.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial up to 1 m. high.
[FWTA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Animal Food Grains & Cereals
Eaten by animals (State of the World's Plants 2016).
[UPB]

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

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    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
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    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
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    • Copyright applied to individual images
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    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0