Poaceae FAMILY

Macrochloa tenacissima

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Macrochloa tenacissima is a perennial grass with very stout stems; it usually grows up to 150cm tall, occasionally reaching 200cm. The plant forms a dense clump, with long, narrow leaves, which are very flexible and strong, around 50 - 60cm long[ 1878 Title Inventario Español de los Conocimientos Tradicionales Relativos a la Bioversidade. Primera Fase Publication Author Santayana M.P. de; Morales R.; Aceituno L. & Molina M. (Edi Publisher Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente; Madrid Year 2014 ISBN Description Written in Spanish, detailed information on the traditional and modern used of over 40 species of plant. It is made freely available on the Internet as a PDF. ] The plant is an important local resource and is harvested in large quantities from the wild for use as a source of materials. It is much used locally for weaving, making ropes etc, with items made from it sold in local markets. It is also employed on a commercial scale for making paper, ropes and many other items. The flowering stems are used in dried flower arrangements.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeWestern Mediterranean - Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya

HabitatDry sandy calcareous or gypsaceous soils[ 50 Title Flora Europaea Publication Author ? Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1964 ISBN - Description An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader. ]. Typical of steppe vegetation in dry or semi-arid environments, often growing on very poor or skeletal soils, preferably limestone, usually without agricultural value; at elevations up to 1,200 metres[ 1878 Title Inventario Español de los Conocimientos Tradicionales Relativos a la Bioversidade. Primera Fase Publication Author Santayana M.P. de; Morales R.; Aceituno L. & Molina M. (Edi Publisher Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente; Madrid Year 2014 ISBN Description Written in Spanish, detailed information on the traditional and modern used of over 40 species of plant. It is made freely available on the Internet as a PDF. ].