Biology:Aristida congesta

From HandWiki
Short description: Species of plant

Tassel three-awn
Die Futterpflanzen Deutsch-Südwestafrikas und Analysen von Bodenproben - botanische und chemische Untersuchungen (1914) (20294731474).jpg
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Aristida
Species:
A. congesta
Binomial name
Aristida congesta
Roem. & Schult.

Aristida congesta (tassel three-awn, Afrikaans: Aapstertsteekgras) is a species of grass native to all provinces of South Africa as well as Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Mozambique. The SANBI Red List classifies it as "safe."[1]

SANBI mentions two subspecies:

Aristida congesta Roem. & Schult. subsp. congesta
Aristida congesta Roem. & Schult. subsp. barbicollis (Trin. & Rupr.) De Winter[2] left|thumb|The inflorescence in winter, Limpopo It is a thick perennial tussock that grows 10–75 cm high. The leaves can be flat or folded. The plumes are 3–20 cm long. The spikelets have uneven husks. The upper portion is the widest, at 6.5–10 mm. It can be found on deciduous woodland on rocky slopes and weathered areas.[3]

Grazing

Sketch by Roem and Schult

It has little value for grazing except when young:

Header text EIW SWIW LnregWIW
Grazing Response Index[4] 1 1.3 1.04

References

Wikidata ☰ Q15505593 entry