Glorious Rhodes Grass

Rhodes grass is a perennial or annual tropical grass. It is a leafy grass, 1-2 m in height, highly variable in habit. The culms are tufted or creeping, erect or decumbent, sometimes rooting from the nodes. The roots are very deep, down to 4.5 m. The leaves are linear, with flat or folded glabrous blades, 12-50 cm long x 10-20 mm wide, tapering at the apex. The seed head has an open hand shape and encompasses 2-10 one-sided or double-sided racemes, 4-15 cm long. The inflorescences are light greenish brown (rarely yellow) in colour, and turn darker brown as they mature. The spikelets (over 32) are densely imbricated and have two awns. The fruit is a caryopsis, longitudinally grooved.
The Rhodes grass, mostly called Chloris Gayana across the world is one of the multiple species of grass, similar to other hay producing perennial grasses is found to be originated from Africa. The Rhodes grass (the term commonly used) is said to have been largely cultivated in West Africa but now it is being

• Soft fodder