''Desmostachya bipinnata'', commonly known as halfa grass, big cordgrass, and salt reed-grass,
is an
Old World
The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...
perennial grass, long known and used in human history. The grass is tall, tufted, leafy, perennial grass, branching from the base, erect from a stout creeping rootstock.
Distribution
''Desmostachya bipinnata'' is native to northeast and west tropical, and northern Africa (in Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, 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).
In agriculture, ''Desmostachya bipinnata'' is a
weed commonly found in
wheat crops.
Taxonomy
On the basis of distinct morphological and reproductive characters, four new subspecies of ''D. bipinnata'' have been described by Pandeya and Pandeya (2002). However, it is uncertain whether these subspecies represent actual genetic differences, the authors also note the existence of different biotypes occurring in response to soil and climatic conditions in western India. The four subspecies proposed are:
*''D. bipinnata longispiculata'';
*''D. bipinnata jodhpurensis'';
*''D. bipinnata sheelai'';
*''D. bipinnata agraensis''.
Religious significance
''Desmostachya bipinnata'' has long been used in various traditions (
Hindus,
Jains and
Buddhists
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
) as a very sacred plant. According to early Buddhist accounts, it was the material used by
Buddha for his meditation seat when he attained enlightenment. It is mentioned in the ''
Rig Veda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (''śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only one Sh ...
'' for use in sacred ceremonies and also as a seat for priests and the gods. Kusha grass is specifically recommended by
Krishna in the ''
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...
'' as part of the ideal seat for meditation.
Other
In
folk medicine, Desmostachya bipinnata has been used to treat
dysentery and
menorrhagia
Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), previously known as menorrhagia or hypermenorrhea, is a menstrual period with excessively heavy flow. It is a type of abnormal uterine bleeding
Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), also known as (AVB) or as atypical ...
, and as a
diuretic.
In arid regions, ''Desmostachya bipinnata'' is used as
fodder
Fodder (), also called provender (), is any agriculture, agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, domestic rabbit, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food g ...
for
livestock.
[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q659826
Plants described in 1759
Flora of Africa
Flora of China
Flora of Western Asia
Flora of tropical Asia
Flora of Saudi Arabia
Fodder
Chloridoideae