Desmostachya bipinnata

Desmostachya bipinnata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Genus:	Desmostachya
Species:	D. bipinnata
Binomial name
Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf[1]
Synonyms[2][3][4]
Briza bipinnata L. Eragrostis bipinnata (L.) K.Schum. Eragrostis cynosuriodes (Retz.) P.Beauv. Poa cynosuriodes Retz. Stapfiola bipinnata (L.) Kuntze Uniola bipinnata (L.) L. (basionym)

Desmostachya bipinnata, commonly known in English by the names Halfa grass, Big cordgrass, and Salt reed-grass,^[5] is an Old World perennial grass, long known and used in human history. In India it is known by many names, including: Daabh, Dharba, Kusha, etc.^[6]

Distribution

Desmostachya bipinnata is native to northeast and west tropical, and northern Africa (in Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, and Tunisia); and countries in the Middle East, and temperate and tropical Asia (in Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand).^[2]

Uses

Medicinal

In folk medicine, Desmostachya bipinnata has been used variously to treat dysentery and menorrhagia, and as a diuretic.^[7]

Religious

Desmostachya bipinnata has long been used in various traditions as a sacred plant. According to early Buddhist accounts, it was the material used by Buddha for his meditation seat when he attained enlightenment.^[8] The plant was mentioned in the Rig Veda for use in sacred ceremonies and also as a seat for priests and the Gods.^[9] Kusha grass is specifically recommended by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita as part of the ideal seat for meditation.^[10]

Other

In arid regions, Desmostachya bipinnata has been used as fodder for domesticed livestock.^[2]

Weed information

In agricultural, Desmostachya bipinnata is a weed commonly found in wheat crops.^[11]

Notes

1. ^  Desmostachya bipinnata was published in W. T. Thiselton-Dyer's Flora Capensis; being a systematic description of the plants of the Cape Colony, Caffraria, & port Natal. London 7(4): 632. 1900 "Plant Name Details for Desmostachya bipinnata". IPNI. http://www.ipni.org:80/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=398084-1. Retrieved June 15, 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c}  GRIN (August 31, 2000). "Desmostachya bipinnata information from NPGS/GRIN". Taxonomy for Plants. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland: USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?13689. Retrieved June 15, 2011. 
3. ^  Uniola bipinnata, the basionym for D. bipinnata, was originally described and published in Species Plantarum ed. 2, 1:104. 1762 GRIN (August 31, 2000). "Uniola bipinnata information from NPGS/GRIN". Taxonomy for Plants. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland: USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?40873. Retrieved June 15, 2011. 
4. ^ "Desmostachya bipinnata". Flora of Pakistan. eFloras. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=200025171. Retrieved 8 February 2011. 
5. ^ Martha Modzelevich. "Desmostachya bipinnata". Flowers in Israel. http://www.flowersinisrael.com/Desmostachyabipinnata_page.htm. Retrieved June 15, 2011. 
6. ^ "Daabh". Flowers of India. http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Daabh.html. Retrieved June 15, 2011. 
7. ^ James A. Duke. "Desmostachya bipinnata (POACEAE)". Green Farmacy Garden, Fulton, Maryland: Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/duke/ethnobot.pl?ethnobot.taxon=Desmostachya%20bipinnata. Retrieved June 15, 2011. 
8. ^ Professor Paul Williams (2006). Buddhism: Critical Concepts in Religious Studies (Critical Concepts in Religious Studies S.). New York: Routledge. p. 262. ISBN 0-415-33226-5. http://books.google.com/books?id=Ypsz9qEzZjwC&pg=PA262. 
9. ^ Griffith, Ralph T. H. (1896). The Hymns of the Rigveda, Volume 1. p. 4. http://books.google.com/books?id=cTQd3lfz_VgC&pg=PA4. 
10. ^ "Establishing a firm seat for himself, In a clean place, Not too high, Not too low, covered with cloth, and antelope skin, and kusha grass" (B.G. VI:11) Smith, Huston; Chapple, Christopher; Sargeant, Winthrop (2009). The Bhagavad Gita (Excelsior Editions). Excelsior Editions/State University of New Yo. p. 282. ISBN 1-4384-2842-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=4JoicgCMZ5cC&pg=PA282. 
11. ^ Ahmad, R., Shaikh, A.S. (January-June, 2003). "Common Weeds of Wheat and Their Control". Pakistan Journal of Water Resources 7 (1): 73–76. http://www.pcrwr.gov.pk/New_Journals/Vol7-1/common_weeds.pdf. Retrieved June 15, 2011. 

Further reading

• Mahdihassan, S. (1987). "Three Important Vedic Grasses". Indian Journal of History and Science 22 (4): 286–291. http://www.new.dli.ernet.in/rawdataupload/upload/insa/INSA_1/20005abf_286.pdf. Retrieved 02-07-11. 

This Poaceae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Poaceae stubs Plants described in 1762 Flora of Afghanistan Flora of Algeria Flora of Burma Flora of Chad Flora of China Flora of Egypt Flora of Eritrea Flora of Ethiopia Flora of India Flora of Iran Flora of Iraq Flora of Israel Flora of Libya Flora of Mauritania Flora of Nepal Flora of Pakistan Flora of Saudi Arabia Flora of Somalia Flora of Sudan Flora of Thailand Flora of Tunisia Fodder Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную? Daab Daadagiri Look at other dictionaries: Desmostachya bipinnata — plunksninė pomiglė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Miglinių šeimos pašarinis, vaistinis augalas (Desmostachya bipinnata), paplitęs Afrikoje ir Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Desmostachya bipinnata šaltinis Valstybinės lietuvių kalbos komisijos… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas) Desmostachya bipinnata — ID 26393 Symbol Key DEBI5 Common Name N/A Family Poaceae Category Monocot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity Cultivated, or not in the U.S. US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution N/A Growth Habit N/A …   USDA Plant Characteristics Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf — Symbol DEBI5 Botanical Family Poaceae …   Scientific plant list Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf — Symbol DEBI5 Botanical Family Poaceae …   Scientific plant list Desmostachya — Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Monocots …   Wikipedia Desmostachya —   Desmostachya Nos falta una image …   Wikipedia Español Desmostachya — Género de plantas de la familia de las Poaceas, orden Poales, subclase Liliidae, clase Liliopsida, división Magnoliophyta. ● Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf ● Desmostachya cynosuroides Stapf ex Massey Desmostachya/sinonimia …   Enciclopedia Universal bipinnata —   L. bis, twice; pinna, feather; ata, possessing.   1) Inflorescence of sessile spikelets on short lateral shoots arising from a central axis. Desmostachya bipinnata   2) with the spikelets hanging in two rows from the under side of the… …   Etymological dictionary of grasses plunksninė pomiglė — statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Miglinių šeimos pašarinis, vaistinis augalas (Desmostachya bipinnata), paplitęs Afrikoje ir Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Desmostachya bipinnata šaltinis Valstybinės lietuvių kalbos komisijos 2009 m. balandžio 9 …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas) Thar Desert — The Thar Desert (Hindi: थार मरुस्थल) , also known as the Great Indian Desert, is a large, arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. With an area of more than 200,000 sq. km., [ [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article… …   Wikipedia 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”