Poaceae FAMILY

Cenchrus purpureus

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Elephant grass is a vigorous perennial clumping grass producing bamboo-like culms 3 - 7 metres tall and up to 25mm thick at the base[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ , 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ]. The plant is extensively cultivated in many areas of the humid tropics and subtropics as an excellent drought-resistant grass for green forage, silage, mulching, soil regeneration, wind shelter, erosion control, and biomass production[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeTropical Africa - Sierra Leone to Ethiopia, south to Angola, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

HabitatCommon in damp grassland, along forest edges and in cultivation, at elevations from near sea level to about 2,000 metres[ 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ].