Kingdom:
Phylum:
Angiosperms
Order:
Poales
Family:
Genus:
Species:
longifolia
ID:
882570

Status:
valid

Authors:
Kunth

Source:
wcs

Year:
1816

Citation Micro:
Nov. Gen. Sp. 1: 198 (1816)

WFO Identifier:
wfo-0000881905

Common Names

  • Olyra longifolia
  • Longifolia Olyra
  • Longifolia Olyra Grass

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Description

Olyra longifolia (also called African Couch, among many other common names) is an evergreen perennial grass that grows up to 1.5 m tall. It is native to tropical Africa and is found in moist habitats such as riverbanks, marshes, and swamps.

Uses & Benefits

Olyra longifolia is used as an ornamental plant in gardens and as a food source for livestock. Its leaves are also used for medicinal purposes.

Flower, Seeds and Seedlings

The flower of Olyra longifolia is a small, white, star-shaped flower. The seed is a small, black, oval-shaped seed. The seedling is a small, green, oval-shaped seedling.

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Cultivation and Propagation

Olyra longifolia is a perennial grass that grows to a height of 1-2 m. It prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Propagation is usually done by seed or division. Seeds should be sown in spring or early summer in a well-prepared seed bed. Division can be done in spring or autumn by carefully digging up the clumps and dividing them into smaller sections.

Where to Find Olyra longifolia

Olyra longifolia can be found in tropical regions of Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Species in the Poaceae family

Achnatherum pekinense, Achnatherum pubicalyx, Achnatherum sibiricum, Achnatherum turcomanicum, Achnatherum brandisii, Achnatherum bromoides, Achnatherum calamagrostis, Achnatherum confusum, Achnatherum inebrians, Achnatherum jacquemontii, Achnatherum virescens, Achnatherum paradoxum, Achnatherum nakaii, Achnatherum pelliotii, Achnatherum haussknechtii, Achnatherum mandavillei, Achnatherum pilosum, Achnatherum parviflorum, Achnatherum staintonii, Aciachne acicularis, Aciachne flagellifera, Aciachne pulvinata, Acidosasa breviclavata, Acidosasa brilletii, Acidosasa chinensis, Acidosasa edulis, Acidosasa glauca, Acidosasa guangxiensis, Acidosasa lingchuanensis, Acidosasa nanunica, Acidosasa notata, Acidosasa purpurea, Acidosasa venusta, Acidosasa carinata, Acostia gracilis, Acrachne henrardiana, Acrachne perrieri, Acrachne racemosa, Acritochaete volkensii, Acroceras amplectens, Acroceras attenuatum, Acroceras boivinii, Acroceras bosseri, Acroceras calcicola, Acroceras chaseae, Acroceras diffusum, Acroceras elegans, Acroceras excavatum, Acroceras fluminense, Acroceras gabunense,

References

Carl Sigismund Kunth (1788-1850): Based on occurrence of standard abbreviation 'Kunth' in the authors string.
POWO record for urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:316806-2: Govaerts R (ed.). 2023. WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants [Version 11]. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. [WWW document] URL http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ [accessed 20 April 2023].