Taxon:  Andropogon gayanus Kunth



Summary
Genus:
Andropogon
Family:
Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)
Subfamily:
Panicoideae
Tribe:
Andropogoneae
Subtribe:
Andropogoninae
Nomen number:
3213
Place of publication:
Enum. pl. 491.  1833
Verified:
08/02/1995 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
26 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Andropogon gayanus Kunth var. bisquamulatus (Hochst.) Hack. (0 active accession[s])
Andropogon gayanus Kunth var. gayanus (0 active accession[s])
Andropogon gayanus Kunth var. polycladus (Hack.) Clayton (0 active accession[s])
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Images (2 total. Click on image for more.)
Inflorescence branch

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Almeida-Neto, M. et al. 2010. Invasive grasses and native Asteraceae in the Brazilian cerrado. Pl. Ecol. 209:109-122.
  2. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  3. Bor, N. L. 1960. The grasses of Burma, Ceylon, India, and Pakistan.
  4. Bowden, B. N. 1964. Studies on Andropogon gayanus Kunth: III. An outline of its biology. J. Ecol. 52:255-271.
  5. Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
  6. Dogra, K. S. et al. 2010. Alien plant invasion and their impact on indigenous species diversity at global scale: A review. J. Ecol. Nat. Environm. 2:175-186.
  7. Esqueda-Esquivel, V. A. et al. 2010. El control de arvenses en la productividad y calidad el pasto llanero. Agron. Mesoamer. 21:145-157.
  8. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  9. Foxcroft, L. C. et al. 2010. Alien plant invasions in tropical and sub-tropical savannas: patterns, processes and prospects. Biol. Invas. 12:3913-3933.
  10. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  11. Gibbs-Russell, G. E. et al. 1990. Grasses of southern Africa. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa vol. 58
  12. Gómez, Y. & J. Paolini. 2011. Variación en la actividad microbiana por cambio de uso en suelos en sabanas, Llanos Orientales, Venezuela. Revista Biol. Trop. 59:1-15.
  13. Hedberg, I. & S. Edwards. 1989-. Flora of Ethiopia Note: Eritrea added in 2000
  14. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares. Note: lists as "Andropogon gayanum Kunth"
  15. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
  16. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  17. National Herbarium of New South Wales. 1961-1984. Flora of New South Wales.
  18. Randall, R. P. 2007. The introduced flora of Australia and its weed status.
  19. 't Mannetje, L. & R. M. Jones, eds. 1992. Forages. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 4:44.
  20. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  21. Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
  22. Zon, A. P. M. van der. 1992. Graminées du Cameroun
  23. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Note: forage crop
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishgamba grass  1Dogra, K. S. et al. 2010. Alien plant invasion and their impact on indigenous species diversity at global scale: A review. J. Ecol. Nat. Environm. 2:175-186.
EnglishTambuki grass  1Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
Spanish (Mexico)pasto llanero  2Esqueda-Esquivel, V. A. et al. 2010. El control de arvenses en la productividad y calidad el pasto llanero. Agron. Mesoamer. 21:145-157.
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSudan  Bowden, B. N. 1964. Studies on Andropogon gayanus Kunth: III. An outline of its biology. J. Ecol. 52:255-271.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaAngola  Bowden, B. N. 1964. Studies on Andropogon gayanus Kunth: III. An outline of its biology. J. Ecol. 52:255-271.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMalawi  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique  Bowden, B. N. 1964. Studies on Andropogon gayanus Kunth: III. An outline of its biology. J. Ecol. 52:255-271.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaZimbabwe  Bowden, B. N. 1964. Studies on Andropogon gayanus Kunth: III. An outline of its biology. J. Ecol. 52:255-271.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaBotswana  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaEswatini  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaNamibia  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaKwaZulu-Natal Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaLimpopo Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaMpumalanga Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaBenin  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaBurkina Faso  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaCôte D'Ivoire  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGambia  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGhana  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGuinea  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaGuinea-Bissau  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaLiberia  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMali  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMauritania  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNigeria  Bowden, B. N. 1964. Studies on Andropogon gayanus Kunth: III. An outline of its biology. J. Ecol. 52:255-271.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSenegal  Bowden, B. N. 1964. Studies on Andropogon gayanus Kunth: III. An outline of its biology. J. Ecol. 52:255-271.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaTogo  Bowden, B. N. 1964. Studies on Andropogon gayanus Kunth: III. An outline of its biology. J. Ecol. 52:255-271.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCameroon  Zon, A. P. M. van der. 1992. Graminées du Cameroun
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCentral African Republic  Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaDemocratic Republic of the Congo  Bowden, B. N. 1964. Studies on Andropogon gayanus Kunth: III. An outline of its biology. J. Ecol. 52:255-271.
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaGabon  Bowden, B. N. 1964. Studies on Andropogon gayanus Kunth: III. An outline of its biology. J. Ecol. 52:255-271.
2CultivatedNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoVeracruz de Ignacio de la Llave Esqueda-Esquivel, V. A. et al. 2010. El control de arvenses en la productividad y calidad el pasto llanero. Agron. Mesoamer. 21:145-157.
2CultivatedSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazil s.e.Almeida-Neto, M. et al. 2010. Invasive grasses and native Asteraceae in the Brazilian cerrado. Pl. Ecol. 209:109-122.
2CultivatedSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaVenezuela  Gómez, Y. & J. Paolini. 2011. Variación en la actividad microbiana por cambio de uso en suelos en sabanas, Llanos Orientales, Venezuela. Revista Biol. Trop. 59:1-15.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia  Randall, R. P. 2007. The introduced flora of Australia and its weed status.
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazil  Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares. Note: lists as "Andropogon gayanum Kunth"
Native
Africa
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Sudan
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Tanzania, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Central African Republic, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, South Africa [KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga]
Cultivated
Northern America
  • SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave]
Southern America
  • NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Venezuela
  • BRAZIL: Brazil (s.e.)
Naturalized
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia
Southern America
  • BRAZIL: Brazil

Reference(s)
  1. Almeida-Neto, M. et al. 2010. Invasive grasses and native Asteraceae in the Brazilian cerrado. Pl. Ecol. 209:109-122.
  2. Bowden, B. N. 1964. Studies on Andropogon gayanus Kunth: III. An outline of its biology. J. Ecol. 52:255-271.
  3. Esqueda-Esquivel, V. A. et al. 2010. El control de arvenses en la productividad y calidad el pasto llanero. Agron. Mesoamer. 21:145-157.
  4. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  5. Gómez, Y. & J. Paolini. 2011. Variación en la actividad microbiana por cambio de uso en suelos en sabanas, Llanos Orientales, Venezuela. Revista Biol. Trop. 59:1-15.
  6. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares. Note: lists as "Andropogon gayanum Kunth"
  7. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
  8. Randall, R. P. 2007. The introduced flora of Australia and its weed status.
  9. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
  10. Zon, A. P. M. van der. 1992. Graminées du Cameroun
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Animal foodforage Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
Materialscanefor thatching & mattingBurkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Weed  Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=3213. Accessed 15 April 2026.