Eragrostis pilosa
| Eragrostis pilosa | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Late Summer-Early Fall |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Eragrostis pilosa (common name: soft love grass)
Propagation: Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts.
The seed can also be sown in situ in mid to late spring, though in a cool summer it may fail to ripen many seeds[1].
Cultivation: Succeeds in any good loam or humus-rich soil in a sunny position[1]. Prefers a light soil[2].
Plants are harvested (from the wild?[K]) on a regular basis in E. Africa for their edible seed[3].
Range: Warm Temperate regions.
Habitat: Roadsides, waste places and old fields[4].
Edibility: Seed - ground into a flour and used as a cereal[5]. It is generally seen as a famine food, but is used regularly in some areas[3]. The seed is very small and fiddly to utilize[K].
Medicinal: The plant is said to be an effective cure for contusions[6].
Pollinators: Wind
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Grounds, Roger. Ornamental Grasses. Christopher Helm, 1989.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.