Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Dactyloctenium aegyptium
Safety & Hazards
The plant is rich in cyanogenetic glucosides at certain stages of growth times and, at that time, may be a danger to grazing stock[1].
Cultivation Details
A plant of dry to moist tropical and subtropical areas, where it is found at elevations from sea level to 2,000 metres[1]. It generally occurs in areas where the annual rainfall is in the range of 400 - 1,500 mm[1]. Adapted to soils of a wide range of textures[1]. Particularly well suited to disturbed areas on light-textured soils[2].Tolerant of alkaline soils[1]. Plants will not stand prolonged flooding[2]. It is one of the most drought-resistant grasses because of its rapid growth and ability to produce seed each wet season, even if it is of short duration[1]. The plant colonizes disturbed soils and can become a weed - it is classified as 'Invasive' in many countries[3, 1]. Although a valuable forage, it can also be a troublesome weed of cultivation[2]. Despite its preference for a habitat with light soils and low moisture, it has been reported to be an important weed in many countries in the humid tropics[3].
Propagation
Seed - surface sow in situ and protect the seed from predation by covering with branches or some other method[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Dactyloctenium+aegyptium>
Pollinators
Wind
References
- [1]Grassland Species - Profiles — http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Gbase/Default.htm ↩︎Terse information on over 650 species of plants that grow in grassland, including trees, shrubs and perennial plants as well as grasses. Gives a brief description of the plant, its range and habitat and some of its uses.
- [2]Plant Resources of Southeast Asia — http://proseanet.org/ ↩︎Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
- [3]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
- [4]Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania — Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. · Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. · 2002 · ISBN 9966-896-60-0 ↩︎A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants.
- [5]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
- [6]Medicinal Plants of the Guianas — DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J. · Smithsonian Museum · http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html ↩︎A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region