Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations:

(≡ homotypic synonym, = heterotypic synonym, - autonym, I invalid designation)

• Basionym: Leptochloa plectostachya K. Schum.

Common names:

• giant star grass  (Source: Websters Dict) - English
• star grass  (Source: World Econ Pl) - English
• estrela-africana  (Source: pers. comm.) - Portuguese (Brazil)
• estrella  (Source: Dict Rehm) - Spanish

Economic Importance:

• Animal food: fodder; forage
• Vertebrate poisons: mammals

Distributional Range:

Native

Africa

• NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia
• EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda


Naturalized (natzd. elsewhere)

References:

1. Alderson, J. & W. C. Sharp. 1995. Grass varieties in the United States, U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 170, rev. ed. CRC Press. Note: Revised version of AH 170
2. Clayton, W. D. & J. R. Harlan. 1970. The genus Cynodon L. C. Rich. in tropical Africa. Kew Bull. 24:185.
3. de Wet, J. M. J. & J. R. Harlan. 1970. Biosystematics of Cynodon L. C. Rich. (Gramineae). Taxon 19:567.
4. FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
5. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource). URL: http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/cropListDetails?code=&relation=beginsWith&name=Cynodon+plectostachyus&quantity=1 target='_blank'
6. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
7. Harlan, J. R. et al. 1969. Hybridization studies with Cynodon from East Africa and Malagasy. Amer. J. Bot. 56:945.
8. Harlan, J. R. et al. 1970. A guide to the species of Cynodon (Gramineae). Bull. Oklahoma Agric. Exp. Sta. B-673:32.
9. Harlan, J. R. et al. 1970. Geographic distribution of the species of Cynodon L. C. Rich. (Gramineae). E. African Agric. Forest. J. 36:221.
10. Kellerman, T. S. et al. 1988. Plant poisonings and mycotoxicoses of livestock in Southern Africa
11. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
12. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
13. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
14. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
15. 1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2024. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN-Taxonomy).
National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: http://gringlobal.iita.org/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=12857. Accessed 3 July 2024.