Common Name: Wire Grass

General Information

Eleusine indica is an erect, annual grass, branching at the base and forming clumps; it can grow from 15 - 85cm tall. It has a particularly tough root system and is hard to pull out[].
A weed in many areas of the tropical to temperate zones, the plant is also used locally as a medicine, food and source of materials for weaving, making paper etc.
The plant is a worldwide weed of the tropics, the seeds being spread in the manure from the livestock[].

Known Hazards

The plant often contains prussic acid (Cyanogenetic glucoside), the main concentration being in the seeds, where it can vary from 0.015 to 0.019%, which is just below the theoretical potential danger level[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Widespread in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia to New Guinea

Habitat

Roadsides and waste places; at elevations from near sea level to 2,000 metres[, , ].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.45 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Wire grass can be grown from the temperate zone to the tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 26°c, but can tolerate 6 - 35°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 500 - 1,200mm, but tolerates 450 - 4,300mm[].
Succeeds in ordinary garden soil in a sunny position[]. Plants can tolerate some salinity of the soil[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.3 - 8.4[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
Young plants are very vigorous and quickly establish themselves[].
This species is the probable ancestor of E. Coracana, a species that is cultivated for its seed.
A polymorphic species.

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[, , ]. The seed is rather small[], it is sometimes used as a famine food[]. Used as a millet, it can be cooked whole or ground into a flour and used in making cakes, gruels etc[].

Young seedlings - raw or cooked and used as a side dish with rice[, , , , , ].

Root - raw[, ].

Medicinal

The whole plant, but especially the root, is anthelmintic, astringent, depurative, diuretic, febrifuge, laxative and sudorific[, ]. It is used in the treatment of bladder disorders, liver complaints, relieve pain caused by straining the abdominal muscles etc[, , ].
The plant is a component of the 'basic remedy' in Vietnamese traditional medicine, it is also used in the treatment of influenza, hypertension, oliguria and retention of urine[].
The plant is applied externally to open wounds to stop bleeding[]. The whole plant is boiled with black sage for use in a sitting bath to treat fevers, colds, malaria, and for post-childbirth cleansing of a mother[]
The plant can be used fresh or dried[].

The fresh leaf juice is used as an anthelmintic, and is also prescribed for women after giving birth[].
A poultice of the leaves is applied to sprains and back pains[]. A decoction of the macerated leaves is used to treat skin rashes[].

A decoction of the roots is used to treat fevers and asthma[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is sometimes used for stabilizing sandy soils[].

Other Uses

The stems are used to make mats, baskets etc[, , , ].

The plant is suitable for paper manufacture[, ].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them out in late spring after the last expected frosts[, ].
The seed can also be sown in mid to late spring in situ[], though if the summer is cool it might not ripen its seed[].