''Dactyloctenium aegyptium'', or Egyptian crowfoot grass is a member of the family

Poaceae Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivate ...

native to Africa and Asia. The plant mostly grows in heavy soils at damp sites.

Description

Dactyloctenium aegyptium at Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden

This grass creeps and has a straight shoot which are usually about 30 centimeters tall.

Food

''Dactyloctenium aegyptium'' is still a traditional food plant used as a

famine food A famine food or poverty food is any inexpensive or ready available food used to nourish people in times of hunger and starvation, whether caused by extreme poverty, such as during economic depression or war, or by natural disasters such as dro ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, this little-known grain has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.

Invasive species

In other areas of the world, including parts of the United States, the grass is considered a weed and

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment: Dactyloctenium aegyptiumUSDA Plants Profile - ''Dactyloctenium aegyptium''Grass Manual Treatment''Dactyloctenium aegyptium'' - Photo gallery
* aegyptium Flora of Africa Flora of Egypt Flora of Eritrea Crops originating from Africa Cereals Flora of Malta Grasses of Lebanon {{Chloridoideae-stub