Taxon: Melinis minutiflora P. Beauv.

Summary

Genus:

Melinis

Family:

Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)

Subfamily:

Panicoideae

Tribe:

Paniceae

Subtribe:

Melinidinae

Nomen number:

24025

Place of publication:

Ess. Agrostogr. 54, t. 11, fig. 4. 1812

Protologue link:

https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/394133

Verified:

05/11/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

51 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Melinis tenuinervis Stapf
Panicum melinis Trin.

Images (3 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Plants of southern Africa: an online checklist.
University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Arechavaleta, M. et al., eds. 2005. Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
Bor, N. L. 1960. The grasses of Burma, Ceylon, India, and Pakistan.
Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
Catasús Guerra, L. J. 2002. Las gramíneas (Poaceae) de Cuba, II. Cavanillesia Altera 3:1-163.
Conant, P. et al. 1997. Appendix. Selected plant species interfering with resource management goals in North American natural areas. In: Luken, J. O. & J. W. Thieret, eds., Assessment and management of plant invasions. 255-267.
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Gibbs-Russell, G. E. et al. 1990. Grasses of southern Africa. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa vol. 58
Giraldo-Cañas, D. 2011. Catálogo de la familia Poaceae en Colombia. Darwiniana 49:139-247.
Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds
Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
Kimani, S. M. et al. 2000. Airborne volatiles from Melinis minutiflora P. Beauv., a non-host plant of the spoted stem borer. J. Essential Oil Res. 12:221-224. DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2000.9699502.
Lazarides, M. 1980. The tropical grasses of Southeast Asia
Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Ratnadass, A. et al. 2012. Plant species diversity for sustainable management of crop pests and diseases in agroecosystems: a review. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 32:273-303. DOI: 10.1007/s13593-011-0022-4. Note: it comments its use as repelers of ovipositing stem borers, it also suggests combination of trap plants and repellers
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
The Missouri Botanical Garden with others. A Catalogue of the vascular plants of Madagascar (on-line resource).
Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
Tovar, Ó. 1993. Las gramíneas (Poaceae) del Perú. Ruizia 13:396.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Ugarte, E. et al. 2011. Vascular alien flora, Chile. Check List 7:365-382.
Villaseñor, J. L. & F. J. Espinoza-Garcia. 2004. The alien flowering plants of Mexico. Diversity & Distrib. 10:113-123.
Wagner, W. L. et al. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands (on-line resource).
Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Zizka, G. 1988. Revision der Melinideae Hitchcock (Poaceae, Panicoideae). Biblioth. Bot. 138:92.
Zon, A. P. M. van der. 1992. Graminées du Cameroun
Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 1994. Catálogo de la familia Poaceae en la República Argentina. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 47
Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	Brazilian stink grass	1	Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
English	efwatakala grass	1	Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
English	molasses grass	1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
English	stink grass	1	Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa.
English	Wynne grass	1	Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
French	herbe à miel	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Italian	melinide	2	International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
Spanish	chopín	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	pasto de gordura	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Transcribed Chinese	tang mi cao	2	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Reference
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Kenya		Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania		Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Uganda		Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Macaronesia	Cabo Verde		Arechavaleta, M. et al., eds. 2005. Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Ethiopia
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Somalia		Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Sudan
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Angola
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Malawi
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Mozambique
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Zambia
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Zimbabwe
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	Eswatini		Plants of southern Africa: an online checklist.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	KwaZulu-Natal	Plants of southern Africa: an online checklist.
1	Native	Africa	Southern Africa	South Africa	Transvaal	Plants of southern Africa: an online checklist.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Côte D'Ivoire
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Ghana		Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Guinea		Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Liberia
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Nigeria		Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Sierra Leone		Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Togo		Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Burundi
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Cameroon		Zon, A. P. M. van der. 1992. Graminées du Cameroun
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Congo
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Democratic Republic of the Congo
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Equatorial Guinea
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Rwanda
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Comoros
1	Native	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Madagascar		The Missouri Botanical Garden with others. A Catalogue of the vascular plants of Madagascar (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Africa	Western Indian Ocean	Reunion		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	China	China		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
4	Naturalized	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan		Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India		Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Indochina		Lazarides, M. 1980. The tropical grasses of Southeast Asia
4	Naturalized	Asia-Tropical	Papuasia	Papua New Guinea		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Australasia	Australia	Australia		Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4	Naturalized	Northern America		Mexico		Villaseñor, J. L. & F. J. Espinoza-Garcia. 2004. The alien flowering plants of Mexico. Diversity & Distrib. 10:113-123.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Pacific	North-Central Pacific	United States	Hawaii	Wagner, W. L. et al. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Northwestern Pacific	Palau		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	South-Central Pacific	French Polynesia		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	New Caledonia		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	Niue		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	Tonga		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Pacific	Southwestern Pacific	Wallis and Futuna Islands		Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Caribbean	West Indies		Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Belize		Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica		Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador		Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala		Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Honduras		Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua		Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Central America	Panama		Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Northern South America	Guyana		Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Northern South America	Suriname		Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela		Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina		Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Chile		Ugarte, E. et al. 2011. Vascular alien flora, Chile. Check List 7:365-382.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Paraguay		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Uruguay		Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Bolivia		Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Colombia		Giraldo-Cañas, D. 2011. Catálogo de la familia Poaceae en Colombia. Darwiniana 49:139-247.
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Galápagos	Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Peru		Tovar, Ó. 1993. Las gramíneas (Poaceae) del Perú. Ruizia 13:396.

Native
Africa

MACARONESIA: Cabo Verde
NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia
EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda
WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo
SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Eswatini, South Africa [KwaZulu-Natal, Transvaal]
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Comoros, Madagascar

Naturalized
Africa

WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Reunion

Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China
EASTERN ASIA: Taiwan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India
PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea
INDO-CHINA: Indochina

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia

Northern America

SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida]
REGION: Mexico

Pacific

NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]
NORTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Palau
SOUTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: French Polynesia
SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC: New Caledonia, Niue, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna Islands

Southern America

CARIBBEAN: West Indies
CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
BRAZIL: Brazil
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador [Galápagos], Peru
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay

Reference(s)

Plants of southern Africa: an online checklist.
Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & M. T. Strong. Flora of the West Indies (on-line resource).
Arechavaleta, M. et al., eds. 2005. Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Giraldo-Cañas, D. 2011. Catálogo de la familia Poaceae en Colombia. Darwiniana 49:139-247.
Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. 2008. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares.
Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
Lazarides, M. 1980. The tropical grasses of Southeast Asia
Shukla, U. 1996. Grasses of north-eastern India
The Missouri Botanical Garden with others. A Catalogue of the vascular plants of Madagascar (on-line resource).
Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
Tovar, Ó. 1993. Las gramíneas (Poaceae) del Perú. Ruizia 13:396.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Ugarte, E. et al. 2011. Vascular alien flora, Chile. Check List 7:365-382.
Villaseñor, J. L. & F. J. Espinoza-Garcia. 2004. The alien flowering plants of Mexico. Diversity & Distrib. 10:113-123.
Wagner, W. L. et al. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands (on-line resource).
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
Zon, A. P. M. van der. 1992. Graminées du Cameroun
Zuloaga, F. O. et al. 2003. Catalogue of New World grasses (Poaceae): III. Subfamilies Panicoideae, Aristidoideae, Arundinoideae, and Danthonioideae. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 46:287.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Animal food	forage		Zon, A. P. M. van der. 1992. Graminées du Cameroun
Animal food	forage		Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Animal food	forage		Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Environmental	erosion control		Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Non-vertebrate poisons	plant pest control	potential	Ratnadass, A. et al. 2012. Plant species diversity for sustainable management of crop pests and diseases in agroecosystems: a review. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 32:273-303. DOI: 10.1007/s13593-011-0022-4. Note: it comments its use as repelers of ovipositing stem borers, it also suggests combination of trap plants and repellers
Non-vertebrate poisons	plant pest control	potential, against spotted stem borer of maize	Kimani, S. M. et al. 2000. Airborne volatiles from Melinis minutiflora P. Beauv., a non-host plant of the spoted stem borer. J. Essential Oil Res. 12:221-224. DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2000.9699502.
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	Conant, P. et al. 1997. Appendix. Selected plant species interfering with resource management goals in North American natural areas. In: Luken, J. O. & J. W. Thieret, eds., Assessment and management of plant invasions. 255-267.
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	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=24025. Accessed 13 May 2026.