Herb: Vine Mesquite


Latin name: Panicum obtusum


Synonyms: Brachiaria obtusa


Family: Gramineae (Grass Family)



Edible parts of Vine Mesquite:

Seed - cooked as a whole grain or ground into a powder and used as a flour with cornmeal. The seed is rather small and fiddly to utilize, though it has a pleasant, mild flavour and can e used as a staple food.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
75 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
August to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Damp flats, shores and waste places. Usually found in dry soils according to another report. Sandy or gravelly soils, mainly along the banks of rivers and irrigation ditches.

Other uses of Vine Mesquite:

An infusion of the leaves is said to be a good wash for making the hair grow more quickly. The dried and powdered stolons can be mixed with soapweed (Yucca species) and used as a tonic hair shampoo. This species is occasionally planted for erosion control.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within a week. Prick out the seedlings into trays or individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts. Division in spring. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Cultivation of Vine Mesquite:

Damp flats, shores and waste places. Usually found in dry soils according to another report. Sandy or gravelly soils, mainly along the banks of rivers and irrigation ditches.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Panicum obtusum:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.