Gramineae
Polevansia rigida
Chloridideae; Chlorideae.
Endemic to southern Africa in the high altitude grassland areas centred around Lesotho and the Eastern Cape Drakensberg. The genus is monospecific with 1 indigenous species to southern Africa.
A mat-forming, rhizomatous and stoloniferous perennial with long decumbent stems from 100-400 mm tall. Leaf blades linear to linear-lanceolate and flat, 10-30 mm long and up to 2 mm wide. Ligule a minutely fimbriate fringed membrane. Leaf sheaths loose and overlapping. Inflorescence of spike-like main branches with appressed racemes of 20-30 mm long. Spikelets solitary, pedicellate, dorsally compressed, disarticulating above the glumes. Two glumes of unequal length, awnless, long relative to the adjacent lemmas, with a single thick central nerve.
This grass is considered to be palatable, but it has very low leaf production and is not, therefore, an important grazing species in natural rangelands, although it becomes common in overgrazed or worn out rangelands so that it may be one of only a few options for grazing.
C4 (XyMS+)
None reported
P. rigida is adapted to temperate, mesic climates in open habitats at altitudes up to 2,500 m above sea level in the grassland areas and annual rainfall between 500 and 800 mm. The species is glycophytic (receiving its moisture from fresh water as opposed to halophytic).
May grow on shallow soils on rocky outcrops or in saline soils on the banks of semi-permanent pans or artificial reservoirs.
P. rigida is utilized as a native pasture species and is not propagated.
Late summer growing species that flowers from February to May.
None known
Not a good grazing grass, because, although it is palatable, leaf production is low. However, it is often found in areas where pastoralism has worn out rangelands so it provides small amounts of fodder under these circumstances.
Gibbs-Russell, G. E. Watson, L., Koekemoer, M., Smook, L. Barker, N. P.., Anderson, H. M., Dallwitz, M.J. 1991. Grasses of southern africa. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa, No. 58, National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.