Loudetia simplex

Loudetia simplex is a grass species found in tropical and Southern Africa and Madagascar. It was originally described as a Tristachya species by Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck in 1841:269 and was transferred to Loudetia by Charles Edward Hubbard in 1934. The species is a perennial bunch grass, with culms erect and 30–150 cm (12–59 in) long. Leaves are mostly basal, with flat, convolute blades 10–30 cm (3.9–11.8 in) long and 2–5 mm wide. The inflorescence is a 10–30 cm (3.9–11.8 in) long panicle of spikelets, each containing one sterile and one fertile flower. The lemma carries a 25–50 mm long awn. Like all Loudetia species, L. simplex uses C4 photosynthesis and occurs in open habitats, often on poor shallow soils. It is a significant weed species. Two subspecies have been described: In Madagascar, it is one of the dominant grassland species in the central high plateaus, where it occurs on leached, poorly drained soils and is quite fire-resistant. In Malagasy, it is known locally as horona, horo, berambo, kilailay, kirodrotra, or felika. It has only medium value as pasture grass.