Gramineae

U. squarrosum Hack.

Centipede grass, kinagras, quinine grass, varkstertgras

Panicoideae; Andropogonodae, Andropogoneae, Rottboelliinae.

There are 7 species of Urelytrum that are found in south and tropical Africa and Madagascar. Urelytrum agropyroides occurs from southern Africa to tropical Africa and Madagascar.

A coarse, densely tufted perennial grass that grows to a height of 600-1600 mm tall. The leaf blades are up to 400 mm long and 1-6 mm wide and are often rolled. The leaf sheath is round and often covered in a white waxy layer. The ligule is an unfringed membrane. Inflorescence is a solitary raceme. The spikelets are in long-and-short combinations that are pedicellate/sessile. The sessile spikelets are 7-8 mm long, the pedicellate slightly shorter except for the awn. The lower glume of the pedicellate spikelets have a long, rough recurved awn that curl in a characteristic fish-bone pattern.
The large, awned single-raceme inflorescence resembles Trachypogon spicatus, which has hairy culms, and Heteropogon contortus, which has awns from only the upper of the inflorescence. Both these species also have velvety awns and lack the bitter taste of Urelytrum agropyroides.

A hard unpalatable grass, due to the bitter quinine taste, that is seldom grazed.

Chromosome base number, x = 10.

C₄ photosynthetic pathway.

Considered to be non-toxic, but has a bitter quinine taste that renders it unpalatable.

Occurs in open habitats in grassland and savanna. A climax grass species that becomes abundant in underutilized rangeland. The annual rainfall in the areas where it occurs is 400-800 mm.

Grows in sandy, often damp soil on stony slopes.

Urelytrum agropyroides is not propagated.

A summer-growing species that flowers anytime from October to June.

None known.

Relativly high leaf production

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.

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