Dichanthium annulatum is an erect perennial grass that can grow up to 1m in height. The stem is slender and hollow with a smooth texture.
It is easily recognizable by its loose, branched yellow to purple spikelets that give the plant a feathery appearance.
Dichanthium Annulatum Classification
- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Streptophyta
- Subphylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Monocotyledonae
- Order: Cyperales
- Family: Poaceae
- Genus: Dichanthium
- Species: Dichanthium annulatum
- Varieties: Dichanthium annulatum var. papillosum
- Common Names: Ringed dichanthium, Two-Flowered goldenbeard, Bluestem, Kleberg Blue stem, Hindi grass, Sheda grass, Delhi grass, and Santa Barbara grass
Nativity and Distribution
Marvel grass is native to Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It is commonly found in countries like:
- Algeria
- Kenya
- Ethiopia
- Egypt
- Iran
- India
- Indonesia
- Thailand
- Papua New Guinea
Physical Characteristics
- Leaves: Narrow and elongated leaves with hairy margins.
- Stems: Smooth and hollow. It can grow up to 1m high.
- Flowers: 2-15 racemes with pale yellow to purple spikelets.
- Roots: Fibrous root system.
Dichanthium annulatum is an erect perennial grass (sometimes prostate) that occurs in dense clumps and can grow up to 1m tall. It is easily recognized by its highly branched yellow to purple spikelets that give it a feathery appearance.
The stem is upright, up to 1m in height, with dense hairs around the nodes. The leaves are narrow, simple, and alternate about 2-7mm wide and 3-30 cm long with a glabrous or slightly hairy texture.
Jinjwa grass produces panicles comprising pale-yellow to purple spikelets about 3-7 cm long with short and hairless stalks. Flowering occurs throughout the year.
The seeds are about 2mm long, oblong to obovate, and dorsally compressed.
Reproduction, Dispersal, and Life Cycle
- Life Cycle: Perennial.
- Seeds: Small seeds with a hard outer coating.
- Climate: Prefers tropical and subtropical areas.
- Dispersal: Wind, animals, and human activities.
Dichanthium annulatum behaves as a perennial plant. The seeds are dispersed by wind and animals like cattle, birds, and ants.
Human activities like cultivation, mowing, and other types of land disturbance also spread the seeds to new areas. Additionally, the seeds can also be dispersed through agricultural machinery and as a contaminant in grass seeds.
Marvel grass can also reproduce vegetatively where new shoots emerge from the base of the plant. These dual methods of reproduction ensure the weed’s continuity in diverse environments.
Similar Plants
- Dichanthium aristatum
- Dichanthium caricosum
- Bothriochloa insculpta
Uses
- It is an important fodder, hay, and silage crop, especially in India and Southeast Asia.
- It is used as turf grass on lawns.
- It is an excellent ground cover grass for soil erosion prevention.
- It is used to restore degraded grasslands.
- The grass is inter-sown with legumes to improve yield.
- Its antioxidant and anti-microbial properties are used to treat dysentery and urinary disorders.
Impact on Farms and Environment
Dichanthium annulatum’s high reproductive potential, rapid growth, and tolerance for harsh diverse environmental factors make it an aggressive weed that can easily outcompete native plants.
In Australian arid wetlands, for instance, it has been reported to compete aggressively with native grasses like Eriachne benthamii.
Its ability to tolerate cultivation, mutilation, and events like drought and fire can also make it difficult to control, especially on pastures and farmlands.
Control
- Mechanical control: Hand pulling
- Cultural control: Growing native grasses
- Chemical control: Glyphosate
Hand pulling is a viable control method for small infestations. However, growing grasses native to your region or applying glyphosate herbicide treatments are the most recommended control methods for eradicating marvel grass.
Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.