Natal Grass

Natal Grass

 

(Rhynchelytrum repens, or R. roseum), a perennial drought-resistant grass measuring up to 1 m in height. The spikelets are gathered into a panicle; the lower flower in the spikelet is staminate, and the upper bisexual. The spikelet glumes and trichomes are pink or red. Natal grass is native to South Africa (the name apparently derives from Natal Province). It is grown as a fodder and pasture crop in all subtropical and tropical countries. It is used in the USSR in ornamental horticulture, primarily for dried bouquets.