Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf

This is a tough grass of arid regions, useful as a soil binder.

On account of the existence of the genus Desmostachys Planch. (Olacinaceae, 1882) the new generic name Stapfiola was proposed by Kuntze (1903) for Desmostachya Stapf. This new name has not been generally accepted and it is expressly stated in the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (1961 edition, Art. 75) that Desmostachya is not likely to be confused with Desmostachys and is therefore to be maintained as a valid generic name. Opinions about the economic usefulness of this grass vary. Duthie reports that cattle will not normally eat it although buffalo do, while Blatter & McCann point out that in Afghanistan it is considered to be a good fodder gross.

Coarse perennial forming large leafy tussocks, also with widely spreading scaly rhizomes. Culms rigid, branched at base and covered with leathery yellowish sheaths, 80–100 cm tall, ca. 7 mm in diam. Leaf sheaths glabrous; leaf blades flat or inrolled, tough, 18–30 × 0.4–1 cm, adaxial surface and margins scabrid, abaxial surface rather smooth, apex long acuminate; ligule ca. 0.3 mm. Inflorescence 20–60 × 2–3 cm; racemes ascending or spreading, crowded or spaced, 0.5–3.5 cm; main axis and rachis hispidulous. Spikelets elliptic or elliptic-oblong, 2–10 mm, stramineous or purplish, florets 3–10; glumes ovate-lanceolate; lower glume 0.7–1.5 mm; upper glume 1.1–2 mm; lemmas ovate-lanceolate, 1.8–2.7 mm; palea keels scabrid. Fl. and fr. summer.

Harsh tussocky rihozomatous perennial; culms stout, up to 1.2 m high. Leaf-blades up to 65 cm long, 3.8-10.5 mm wide when unrolled; lower leaf-sheaths leathery, often densely flabellate towards the base of the culm. Inflorescence up to 60 cm long; spikes clustered or spaced, 14 cm long. Spikelets 3-17-flowered, narrowly ovate to linear-oblong, 3-10 mm long; lower glume 0.7-1.5 mm long, upper glume 1.1-2.0 mm long; lemmas straw-coloured or suffused with purple, 1.8-2.7 mm long.

Distribution: Pakistan (Sind, Baluchistan, Punjab, N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); through-out the Middle East to Indo-China; North and tropical Africa.

Fl. & Fr. Per. July-October or November.

Arid regions with water table near surface. Hainan [Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam; N and NE Africa, SW Asia, Australia (Cocos Islands)].

Briza bipinnata Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 2: 875. 1759; Eragrostis cynosuroides (Retzius) P. Beauvois; Poa cynosur-oides Retzius.