Gramineae

Melica neesii Stapf

Dronkgras, Saggers grass

Pooideae; Poodae, Meliceae.

There are about 80 species of Melica from north-temperate parts of the world, South America and southern Africa of which 2 species are indigenous to southern Africa. Melica decumbens only occurs in southern Africa (South Africa and Lesotho). In South Africa it is found in the Nama-karoo and Grassland Biomes.

A tufted perennial grass with unbranched culms that grows to a height of 300-500 mm tall. The leaves are concentrated at the base and are coarse (strongly scabrous), erect and usually rolled. The leaf blades are 20-200 mm long and 1.5-3.5 mm wide. The ligule is an unfringed membrane to a fringed membrane. The inflorescence is a single open or contracted raceme. The spikelet-bearing axis is persistent. The spikelets are 10-15 mm long, disarticulating above the glumes or falling with the glumes. Glumes large, very unequal, awnless, long relative to the adjacent lemmas. The lemmas of the female fertile florets are hairy on the back and margins. The lemmas of the sterile florets are usually hairy.
Melica decumbens is closely related to and very similar to Melica racemosa. The latter species has branched inflorescences and smaller spikelets. M. decumbens is also confused with Ehrharta calycina, which has branched inflorescences and is a smaller, less dense plant.

This grass has rough leaves and a narcotic effect on cattle, horses, donkeys and, to a lesser extent, sheep, so it is seldom grazed.

Chromosome base number, x = 9.

C₃ photosynthetic pathway.

Poisonous to horses, cattle and donkeys when consumed in more than very small quantities. Poison has a narcotic effect, which has led to the common name of staggers grass.

Occurs in the temperate cooler, high altitude parts of southern Africa, but tending towards the drier regions of the country. The distribution of this species coincides with the summer to late summer rainfall region, and may be from 300-700 mm per annum. Usually grows on mountain slopes and hillsides, among rocks or in the shade of trees. May also grow on the sides of roads. It is a climax species that increases in overgrazed rangeland.

Usually found in rocky or gravely soil.

M. decumbens is not propagated and, due to its toxicity, is unlikely to ever be cultivated.

Broadly summer-to late summer growing species that flowers from October to April.

None known

Slow-growing

Acocks, J.P.H. 1988. Veld types of South Africa (3rd edn.). Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Afr. No 28. Government printer, Pretoria.

Gibbs-Russell, G.E., Watson, L., Koekemoer, M., Smook, L. Barker, N.P., Anderson, H.M., Dallwitz, M.J. 1989. Grasses of southern Africa. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa, No. 58, National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

Gibbs-Russell, G.E., 1986. Significance of different centres of diversity in subfamilies of Poaceae in southern Africa. In: E.M.Van Zinderen Bakker, J.A.Coetzee & L.Scott (eds.) Palaeoecology of Africa and the surrounding islands. Vol. 17. pp. 183-191. A.A.Balkema, Rotterdam.

Van Wyk, E. & Van Oudtshoorn, F. 1999. Guide to grasses of southern Africa. Briza Publications, Arcadia, South Africa.