Code
RHYRE
Growth form
grass
Biological cycle
annual
Habitat
terrestrial
synonym | Erianthus repens (Willd.) P.Beauv. |
synonym | Melinis argentea Mez |
synonym | Melinis brachyrhynchus Mez |
synonym | Melinis congesta Mez |
synonym | Melinis nitens Mez |
synonym | Melinis paupera Mez |
synonym | Melinis repens subsp. repens |
synonym | Melinis rosea (Nees) Hack. |
synonym | Melinis ruficoma (Steud.) Chiov. |
synonym | Melinis stolzii Mez |
synonym | Melinis ugandensis Mez |
synonym | Monachyron roseum (Nees) Parl. |
synonym | Monachyron tonsum (Nees) Parl. |
synonym | Panicum braunii Steud. |
synonym | Panicum roseum (Nees) Steud. [Illegitimate] |
synonym | Panicum roseum f. hirtum Kuntze |
synonym | Panicum sphacelatum (Benth.) Steud. [Illegitimate] |
synonym | Panicum teneriffae var. roseum (Nees) F.M.Bailey |
synonym | Panicum tonsum (Nees) Steud. |
synonym | Rhynchelythrum repens (Willd.) C.E.Hubb. |
synonym | Rhynchelytrum dregeanum Nees |
synonym | Rhynchelytrum dregeanum var. annuum Chiov. |
synonym | Rhynchelytrum dregeanum var. intermedium Chiov. |
synonym | Rhynchelytrum gossweileri Stapf & C.E.Hubb. |
synonym | Rhynchelytrum repens (Willd.) C.E.Hubb. |
synonym | Rhynchelytrum repens var. roseum (Nees) Chiov. |
synonym | Rhynchelytrum roseum (Nees) Stapf & C.E.Hubb. ex Bews |
synonym | Rhynchelytrum ruficomum Hochst. ex Steud. |
synonym | Rhynchelytrum stolzii (Mez) Stapf & C.E.Hubb. |
synonym | Rhynchelytrum tonsum (Nees) Lanza & Mattei |
synonym | Saccharum repens Willd. |
synonym | Saccharum sphacelatum (Benth.) Walp. |
synonym | Tricholaena atropurpurea Voss [Invalid] |
synonym | Tricholaena dregeana (Nees) T.Durand & Schinz |
synonym | Tricholaena fragilis A.Braun |
synonym | Tricholaena grandiflora var. collina Rendle |
synonym | Tricholaena repens (Willd.) C.L.Hitchc. |
synonym | Tricholaena repens (Willd.) Hitchc. |
synonym | Tricholaena repens var. rosea (Nees) Alberts. |
synonym | Tricholaena rosea f. violacea Voss. |
synonym | Tricholaena rosea Nees |
synonym | Tricholaena rosea var. ruderalis Vanderyst |
synonym | Tricholaena rosea var. sphacelata (Benth.) A.Chev. |
synonym | Tricholaena ruficoma (Steud.) Hack. |
synonym | Tricholaena sphacelata Benth. |
synonym | Tricholaena tonsa Nees |
synonym | Tricholaena tonsa var. submutica Schweinf. |
synonym | Tricholaena violacea Voss [Invalid] |
Créole Maurice |
|
Créole Réunion |
|
Créole Seychelles |
|
English |
|
Malgache |
|
Global description
Melinis repens is a loose tufted plant, spread at the base, with linear lanceolate leaves usually hairy. The ligule is ciliated. The inflorescence is a loose panicle with long silky spikelets, silvery white to pink. The spikelets are biflorous, the internal flower is male or sterile. The upper glume is very reduced. The upper glume and the lower lemma are convex at the bottom and end in wide spout surmounted by an edge. The upper palea is bi-keeled and finely ciliated. The lemma and palea of external fertile flower are smooth and shiny, enveloping the grain.
First leaves
The prefoliation of first leaves is rolled. The lamina is linear lanceolate, 3 to 8 cm long and 6 to 9 mm wide. It is obliquely erect. The ligule is ciliated. The sheath is generally hairy but some forms are glabrous. The midrib forms a slightly marked groove. Young leaves are often tinged with purple at the base.
General habit
The plant is loose tuft. The base of the branches is often spread on the ground, while the flowering ends are erect. The plant has a strong tillering. It measures 30 to 100 cm in height.
Underground system
The roots are fibrous. Stilt roots develop from the basal nodes.
Culm
The culm is cylindrical and hairy to glabrous. It is robust at the base, 2 to 4 mm wide, greenish in colour, often tinted withpurple. The nodes are hairy and light color.
Leaf
The leaves are alternate. The sheath is glabrous to hairy. It is cylindrical and has a slightly marked round keel. It is often tinged with purple. The ligule is ciliated, 1 mm high. The lamina is linear to lanceolate, with a tapered acute apex. It is obliquely erect and flat or convoluted. Midrib forms a very pronounced groove, light in color. The lamina is 5 to 30 cm long and 2 to 10 mm wide. The margin and the upper face are finely scabrous. Both sides of the leaf blade is more or less hairy.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence is a loose panicle, ovoid and abundantly branched from the base. It measures 5 to 20 cm long and 3 to 10 cm wide. The ramifications are filiform, flexuous and finely pubescent. They terminate in a small cup, with stiff hairs and on which the spikelet is inserted.
Spikelet
The spikelets are solitary at the end of the branches. They are covered with long, straight hairs, silvery white to pink. The spikelets are ovoid, 2.5 to 5 mm long and 2 to 3 mm wide. They include two flowers; the internal is male or barren, the external fertile. The lower glume is generally very small, 0.2 to 3 mm long, lanceolate and covered with long bristles. The upper glume is separated from the lower glume by a rachilla of 0.2 to 1.5 mm long; it is 2 to 4 mm long. It is oval, very convex in its lower half and ends in beak wide and emarginate at the top. It has five longitudinal ribs. It is surmounted by a long ridge, 1 to 7 mm. The lower part is covered with silky hair, 2 mm, while in the upper part, the bristles are up to 5 mm long. The lemma of the internal flower is similar to the lower glume but slightly narrower. The lower palea is papery, translucent, bi-keeled and finely ciliated along the keel. It is 1.5 to 3 mm long. The lemma of the external flower is 1.5 to 2.2 mm long, lanceolate. It is smooth and shiny, pearly white in color. The edges partially overlap the palea similar and enclose the grain.
Grain
The grain is fusiform, 1.5 to 2 mm long and is included in the palea and the lemma
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Melinis repens is an annual species rarely perennial. It is propagated by seeds.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Northern Cameroon: Melinis repens is a species that grows in the Sudanese regions of Sudano-Guinean areas with annual rainfall that exceeds 1 000 mm. It has no significant preference for soil, provided it is moist but well-drained. It is a ruderal species, common on roads and embankments in recent fallows. It is also a weed of crops in plots poorly maintained or newly cultivated fallow after. It grows in irregular patches.
Comoros: Common on roadsides.
Madagascar: Common weed species, even in the dry southern regions. It invades fallows and rainfed cultivations which are slightly intensified on well-drained soils with generally low fertility potential.
Mauritius: Ruderal species that is often found on roadsides in rocky terrain on the slopes and occasionally in the sugar cane fields in the lower part of the island.
Reunion: This is a very common herb, occurring also in altitude (Cilaos). Very sun-loving, it grows in a variety of locations ranging from the edges of paths and recent fallow wetland, coastal savannas to the west. It is also found in the plots poorly maintained or newly cultivated fallow.
Seychelles: Common species present in a few geographic areas. It is more common in coastal areas but rare in altitude. This species is probably a recent introduction.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Origin
Melinis repens is native to all of tropical Africa, Madagascar and the Arabian Peninsula.
Worldwide distribution
This species has been widely introduced and is now widespread throughout the tropical regions of America, Africa and Asia.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Local harmfulness
Northern Cameroon: Melinis repens is at the northern limit of its range. This is a minor weed present in nearly 10% of cultivated plots of the Sudan zone.Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Local control
Madagascar: In general, Melinis repens is rare in cultivated plots, it can be eliminated by weeding. It is favored by fire. Chemical control is possible with atrazine, pendimethalin or diuron at preemergence and fluazifop-p Buthyl on young plants and fenoxaprop-ethyl or glyphosate, effective even on older plants at postemergence.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=melinis%2520repens
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Root | Root |
Kingdom | Plantae |
Phylum | Tracheophyta |
Class | Liliopsida |
Order | Poales |
Family | Poaceae |
Genus | Melinis |
Species | Melinis repens (Willd.) Zizka |