SafePlants

Acroceras: A Versatile Tropical Grass

Acroceras is a genus of grasses found in warmer regions around the world. Known for their adaptability, some species are cultivated for various purposes.

Considerations for Pets

• Some species, such as Acroceras macrum, have extensively creeping, rather wiry rhizomes.
• Species have a decumbent (from a prostrate base) habit, rooting from lower nodes.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Acroceras Stapf
• Family: Poaceae (Grass family)
• Major Group: Angiosperms (Flowering plants)
• Synonyms: Neohusnotia A. Camus

Common Names

• Nile grass (used for Acroceras macrum, especially in South Africa)
• Nyl grass (also for Acroceras macrum)
• Nylgras
• Nile vlei grass
• Nylvleigras
• Nilgras
• Swamp rye grass
• Lidjiegras
• Varkgra

Distribution and Habitat

• The genus is widespread across warmer parts of Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
• Acroceras zizanioides is distributed in Africa, tropical Asia, and southern regions.

Morphological Characteristics

• Habit: Perennial.
• Culms: Decumbent (from a prostrate base) or erect, 30-100 cm long, 1-2.5 mm in diameter, 10-20 noded, rooting from lower nodes, hollow, usually erect, sparingly branched.
• Rhizomes: Creeping, solid, fibrous.
• Stolons: Present, hollow.
• Leaves: Leaf-blades broadly linear, 4-20 cm long, 3-10 mm wide.

Ecological Role

• Acroceras zizanioides is noted as being frequent in its natural range.

Traditional Uses

• Acroceras macrum is often cultivated as pasture, silage, and hay.
• Acroceras macrum is a palatable and nutritious tropical species used as pasture grass in South Africa.

Nomenclature Specific to Acroceras zizanioides

• Scientific Name: Acroceras zizanioides (Kunth) Dandy
• Synonym: Panicum

Further Information

• World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
• USDA-NRCS, National Plant Data Center.
• Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 4. Forages. Pudoc Scientific Publishers, Wageningen, Netherlands.
• Discover Life.