Centropodia glauca, also known as ghagras or ikagras[2][3] is a species of grass native to Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (Cape Provinces and Northern Provinces), and Kenya.[1] The occurrence of this grass is proof of well-preserved sandveld. The grass is very hardy and can thrive in dry veld. It is a perennial pole grass that usually grows between 200–850mm but can grow up to 1m tall. The flowering period is between September and May.[4] Because ghagras have few leaves and the stalks are almost always green, it is resistant to fire.[5]
| Centropodia glauca | |
|---|---|
| |
| Seed pods | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Clade: | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Subfamily: | Chloridoideae |
| Genus: | Centropodia |
| Species: | C. glauca
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| Binomial name | |
| Centropodia glauca (Nees) Cope (1983)
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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It grows mainly in deep sandy soil, particularly in duneveld; also grows in gravelly soil.[6] It is eaten by game, especially oryx.
It was first described by Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck, and given its current name by Thomas Arthur Cope.[7]
References
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- ^ a b Centropodia glauca (Nees) Cope. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants". redlist.sanbi.org.
- ^ "Centropodia glauca (KNDGL)[Overview]| EPPO Global Database". gd.eppo.int.
- ^ "Savanna". Spesie portefeulje vir Suid Afrika biome.
- ^ van der Walt, Pieter; le Riche, Elias (1999). Die Kalahari en sy plante. Pretoria: Pretoria. pp. 90–91. ISBN 0-620-23415-6.
- ^ van Oudtshoorn, Frits (1992). Guide to Grasses of Southern Africa. Pretoria: Briza publications. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-920217-35-8.
- ^ Cope, 1983 In: Kew Bull. 37: 658