Melinis minutiflora P.Beauv.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial up to 100 cm high, ascending; leaves sometimes smelling strongly of linseed oil

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 10–30 cm long, dense, often purplish

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets narrowly oblong, 1.5–2(–2.4) mm long, glabrous or sometimes thinly hairy; lower glume sometimes almost suppressed, but usually an oblong scale 0.2–0.5 mm long, not distant from the upper; upper glume straight on the back, prominently 7-nerved, the nerves forming raised ribs, obtusely bilobed, with or without a mucro up to 0.5 mm long; lower lemma 5-nerved, the nerves forming raised ribs, acutely bilobed, with an awn up to 15 mm long or sometimes awnless.

Distribution

S2 tropical Africa, introduced throughout the tropics

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Guiana Shield, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–3000 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Cundinamarca, Guainía, Guaviare, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupés.

Habit

Herb.

Ecology

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

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial, erect or ascending from a prostrate base, the culms up to 2 m. long

Morphology Leaves

Leaves covered in sticky hairs and smelling strongly of molasses or linseed oil.

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology

Alt. 0 - 3000 m.

Morphology General Habit

Herb.

Distribution

Introduced and naturalised in Colombia.

Conservation

Not Evaluated.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial. Culms geniculately ascending; 60-100 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths viscid; pilose. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5-20 cm long; 3-11 mm wide; viscid; aromatic. Leaf-blade surface pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong; dense; 10-30 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; scaberulous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 0.5-2 mm long; scaberulous; glabrous, or bearing a few hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; symmetrical; 1.5-2(-2.4) mm long; falling entire.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; symmetrical; 1.5-2(-2.4) mm long; falling entire.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, or ovate; 0.2-0.5 mm long; 0.1-0.2 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; not gibbous; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume apex lobed; 2 -fid; obtuse; muticous, or mucronate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; not gibbous; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; ribbed; lobed; 2 -fid; acute; muticous (rarely), or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 0-15 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; laterally compressed; 1.2-1.5 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 1-3 -veined. Lemma margins flat. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid. Palea 1 length of lemma; cartilaginous; without keels.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Stigmas laterally exserted.

Distribution

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

Reference

Paniceae. FTEA.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Morphology General Habit

Tufted perennial.

Morphology Culms

Culms (50)80–150 cm. high, ascending.

Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina

Leaf laminae (2)4–20 cm. long, (2.5)5–11(19) mm. wide, flat, these and the sheaths densely tomentose and usually sticky with a strong smell of linseed oil.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle (8)10–20(36) cm. long, narrowly ovate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel

Pedicels glabrous, rarely with a few hairs towards the apex, scabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets (1.5)1.7– 2.2(2.4) mm. long, narrowly ovate to narrowly oblong.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Inferior glume 0.1–0.4 mm. long, ovate, 0–1-nerved, inserted close to the superior; superior glume prominently 7-nerved, awnless or with a short mucro (rarely conspicuously awned), membranous, obtusely bilobed, glabrous, rarely hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Inferior floret barren without a palea, its lemma prominently 5-nerved, acutely bilobed, equalling the superior glume but narrower, awnless or with an awn up to 14 mm. long.

Inferior

Inferior floret barren without a palea, its lemma prominently 5-nerved, acutely bilobed, equalling the superior glume but narrower, awnless or with an awn up to 14 mm. long.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; culms ascending, often matted, up to about 1 m. high.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades flat, 5–20 cm. long, 3–11 mm. wide, the blades and sheaths tomentose with hairs which are often sticky and sometimes smelling strongly of linseed oil.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 10–30 cm. long, dense, often purplish; pedicels scaberulous (very rarely with a few long hairs).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets narrowly oblong, 1.5–2(–2.4) mm. long, glabrous or sometimes hairy; lower glume sometimes almost suppressed, but usually a little oblong scale 0.2–0.5 mm. long; upper glume straight on the back, prominently 7-nerved, these forming raised ribs, obtusely bilobed, with or without a mucro up to 0.5 mm. long; lower floret barren without a palea, the lemma 5-nerved, these forming ribs, acutely bilobed, with an awn up to 15 mm. long or sometimes awnless; upper lemma as long as the palea.

Figures

Fig. 124.

Habitat

Open hillsides; 950–2500 m.

Distribution

K2 K3 K4 K5 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U2 tropical Africaintroduced throughout the tropics as a fodder plant under the name “Molasses Grass”

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

chopín, chopín gordura, chupín, contraincendio, gordura, hierba del melado, pasto chopín, pasto gordura, pasto yaraguá, yaguará, yaraguá, yaraguá falso, yaraguá peluda, yaraguá Uribe

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

Use Animal Food

Used as animal food.

Use Environmental

Environmental uses.

Use Materials

Used as material.

Use Medicines

Medical uses.

Use Medicines

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

Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders

Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016, Instituto Humboldt 2014).