Poaceae FAMILY

Dactyloctenium aegyptium

Edibility

1/5

Medicinal

2/5

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[ 375 Title Grassland Species - Profiles Publication Author Website http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Gbase/Default.htm Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description 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. ].

Botanical Description

Dactylotenium aegypticum is a glaucous annual with culms up to 70cm high, not stoloniferous, but often rooting from the lower nodes. The plant can form a mat with short underground stems[ 398 Title Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania Publication Author Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. Publisher Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. Year 2002 ISBN 9966-896-60-0 Description 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. ]. The seed is sometimes harvested from the wild for food, but generally only in times of scarcity. The plant also has local medicinal uses.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeDrier areas of Africa, E Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula, Afghanistan, India, Malaysia, Philippines

HabitatA widespread weed of open situations, grassland, open woodland, common by roadsides, on waste ground; a weed of arable land, in shallow soils and can withstand some salinity, at elevations from sea level to 2,100 metres[ 398 Title Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania Publication Author Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. Publisher Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. Year 2002 ISBN 9966-896-60-0 Description 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. ].