Poaceae
Chloris

Chloris gayana Kunth

First published in Révis. Gramin. 1: 89 (1829)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Macaronesia, Tropical & S. Africa, Arabian Peninsula. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is has environmental uses and as animal food and a medicine.

Descriptions

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]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 500–2500 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Caldas, Cundinamarca, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

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

Morphology General Habit
Stoloniferous perennial up to 1 m high; leaves linear, tapering
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a head of 9–12 digitate racemes, these 3–12 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3- to 4-flowered, 2-awned; fertile lemma lanceolate in profile, 2.9–3.2 mm long, sparsely to densely ciliate on the margins and keel, with an awn 4–5 mm long; 2nd floret with a palea and often a male flower, the lemma lanceolate, ciliate on the margins; 3rd lemma a scabrid oblong or clavate awnless scale; 4th lemma, if present, a glabrous clavate awnless scale.
Distribution
N2; S2, 3 tropical and southern Africa and Arabia
Ecology
Altitude up to 1300 m.
[FSOM]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Stolons present. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50-220 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades (15-)25-50 cm long; (1.5-)3-9 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes (5-)7-20; digitate; spreading, or ascending; unilateral; 4-15 cm long. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2.5-4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 2.5-4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus bearded; obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5-2.5 mm long; 0.6-0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2-4 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; lanceolate in profile; 2.5-3.5 mm long; cartilaginous; pallid; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate. Lemma lateral veins close to margins. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma hairs 0.5-1 mm long. Lemma apex emarginate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 2-10 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets 2-3 in number; male, or barren; in a clump; lanceolate; 1.5-3 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas pilose; adorned on margins; awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns subapical; 1.5-5.5 mm long; 1 per spikelet in number.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; trigonous. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: 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. 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
Cynodonteae. FTEA.
[GB]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

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

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
cosia
[UNAL]

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

Uses

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

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

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • 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/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Plants and People Africa

    • 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/

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0