Types of Grass in Zimbabwe
- Grass is a major food source for elephants and other animals in Zimbabwe.Elephants, Zambezi River, Zimbabwe image by Elzbieta Sekowska from Fotolia.com
Zimbabwe is a landlocked nation bordered by South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana. The high altitude terrain of Zimbabwe moderates the tropical climate, giving rise to a wide variety of plant life. Grasses grow in abundance throughout the rolling high-veld (grass savanna) of southern Zimbabwe and include hundreds of species from over 150 genera. - Pennisetum is a genus of annual and perennial grass species found in tropical and temperate regions around the globe. In Zimbabwe, 11 species of pennisetum are found both in the high-veld region and the eastern lowlands. Fountain grass (P. setaceum), the most common species in the country, is a perennial variety with a dense, mounding growth habit, wiry leaves and tall stalks with purplish, tufted seed heads. Kikiyu grass (P. clandestinum) is an introduced species that has naturalized across Zimbabwe. Low growing and dense, Kikiyu grass forms a thick mat of vegetation that spreads quickly.
- A common sight along roadsides and areas with disturbed soil in Zimbabwe, red-top grass (Melinis) is a genus of perennial grasses commonly used in ornamental horticulture. Natal red-top (M. repens) is a species found mainly in the uplands of southern and western Zimbabwe. Like other species in the genus, natal red-top bears fluffy, rose-colored seed heads atop three-foot-tall stalks throughout the spring and summer. Bristle-leaved red-top (M. nerviglumis) differs from other members of its genus in the color of its foliage, which has a bluish cast. The reddish seed tufts are paler than other species, and are commonly seen in yards and along roadsides in Zimbabwe.
- One of the most abundant and widespread grass genera in Zimbabwe, love-grass (Eragrostis) exists in over 70 species around the country. Spiky love-grass (E. chapelieri) is a perennial variety that grows in dense, 3-foot-tall tufts in rocky or sandy soil near water. The flattened seed heads can reach 9 inches in length and typically have a nodding look due to their weight. Found in seasonally moist grasslands, heart-seed love-grass (E. capensis) grows at altitudes above 3,000 feet. It has shorter leaves than other types of love-grass and heart-shaped seed clusters arranged alternately along four-foot-tall stems. Feathery love-grass (E. hispida) is a water-loving variety occurring naturally along riverbeds and other waterways. It has an erect growth habit with airy seed clusters that are silvery-white in color.
- Bushveld signal grass (Urochloa mosambicensis) is a perennial mounding grass found in open savanna and wooded grasslands throughout Zimbabwe. Found at altitudes of up to 5,000 feet, bushveld signal grass is the preferred feed of foraging animals in the region such as antelope and zebra. It is a rapidly spreading species that forms a dense mat along with 2-foot-tall, spindly seed stalks.
