Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. GRIN-Global

Taxon: Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult.

Summary

Genus:

Heteropogon

Family:

Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)

Subfamily:

Panicoideae

Tribe:

Andropogoneae

Subtribe:

Anthristiriinae

Nomen number:

18953

Place of publication:

Syst. veg. 2:836. 1817

Verified:

05/20/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

6 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

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

Basionym

Andropogon contortus L.

Heterotypic Synonym(s)

Heteropogon hirtus Pers.

No images

Reference(s)

Alderson, J. & W. C. Sharp. Grass varieties in the United States, U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 170, rev. ed. 1995
Beetle, A. A. 1977. Noteworthy grasses from Mexico V. Phytologia 37:356.
Bor, N. L. The grasses of Burma, Ceylon, India, and Pakistan. 1960
Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon. 1980-
Davidse, G. et al., eds. Flora mesoamericana. 1994
Englert, J. M. et al. USDA-NRCS Improved conservation plant materials released by NRCS and cooperators. 1999-
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
FNA Editorial Committee. Flora of North America. 1993-
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
Hnatiuk, R. J. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11. 1990
Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Lazarides, M. The tropical grasses of Southeast Asia. 1980
Markle, G. M. et al., eds. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2. 1998
McVaugh, R. Flora Novo-Galiciana. 1983-
Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. Flora of [West] Pakistan. 1970-
Parrotta, J. A. Healing plants of peninsular India. 2001
Rehm, S. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. 1994
Shukla, U. Grasses of north-eastern India. 1996
't Mannetje, L. & R. M. Jones, eds. 1992. Forages. Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA). 1989- 4:137.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. Flora of tropical East Africa. 1952-
USDA/ARS. INVADERS database system. The University of Montana (on-line resource).
Veldkamp, J. F. 1997. pers. comm.
Vibrans, H., ed. Malezas de México (on-line resource).
Wagner, W. L. et al. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands (on-line resource).
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. Flora of China (English edition). 1994-
Zon, A. P. M. van der. Graminées du Cameroun. 1992
Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74. 1996, 1999
PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).

Common names

English
black spear grass –
bunch spear grass –
bunched spear grass –
spear grass –
tangle grass –
tanglehead –
Afrikaans
assegaaigras –
steekgras –
French
herbe à moutons –
herbe barbue –
herbe polisson –
German
Speergras –
Portuguese
flechinha –
Spanish
hierba torcida –
Transcribed Chinese
huang mao –

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Kenya
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Uganda
1	Native	Africa	Macaronesia	Cabo Verde
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Chad
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Eritrea
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Ethiopia
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Somalia
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Sudan
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Algeria
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Libya
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Morocco
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Tunisia
1	Native	Africa	South Tropical Africa	Angola
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	South Africa
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Benin
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Côte D'Ivoire
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Ghana
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Guinea
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Liberia
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Mali
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Mauritania
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Niger
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Nigeria
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Senegal
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Sierra Leone
1	Native	Africa	West Tropical Africa	Togo
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Cameroon
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Central African Republic
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Congo
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Gabon
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Rwanda
1	Native	Africa	West-Central Tropical Africa	Zaire
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Fujian
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Gansu
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangdong
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guangxi
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Guizhou
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hainan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Henan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hubei
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Hunan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Jiangxi
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Shaanxi
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Sichuan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Xizang
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Yunnan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China	Zhejiang
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Taiwan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Lebanon
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Syria
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	India
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Sri Lanka
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indo-China	Myanmar
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	New South Wales
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Northern Territory
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Queensland
1	Native	Australasia	Australia	Australia	Western Australia
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Albania
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Croatia
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Italy
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Montenegro
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain
2	Cultivated
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Baja California
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Chihuahua
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Coahuila
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Durango
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Nuevo Leon
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	San Luis Potosi
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sonora
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Tamaulipas
4	Naturalized	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	New Mexico
4	Naturalized	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Aguascalientes
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Chiapas
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Colima
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Federal District
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guanajuato
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guerrero
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Jalisco
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Mexico
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Michoacan
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Morelos
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Nayarit
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Oaxaca
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Puebla
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Queretaro
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Tabasco
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Yucatan
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Arizona
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	California
4	Naturalized	Pacific	North-Central Pacific	United States	Hawaii
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Caribbean	West Indies
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Mesoamerica	Belize
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Mesoamerica	El Salvador
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Mesoamerica	Guatemala
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Mesoamerica	Honduras
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Mesoamerica	Nicaragua
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina
4	Naturalized	Southern America	Western South America	Bolivia

Native
Africa

EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
MACARONESIA: Cabo Verde
NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Chad
NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe
SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa
WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Benin, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Central African Republic, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Rwanda, Zaire

Asia-Temperate

CHINA: China [Zhejiang, Fujian, Henan, Hunan, Hubei, Gansu, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi, Xizang, Hainan]
EASTERN ASIA: Taiwan
WESTERN ASIA: Lebanon, Syria

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India, Sri Lanka
INDO-CHINA: Myanmar

Australasia

AUSTRALIA: Australia [New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia]

Europe

SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain, France

Cultivated ()
Naturalized
Northern America

NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Sonora, Tamaulipas]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [New Mexico, Texas]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Aguascalientes, Chiapas, Colima, Federal District, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, Queretaro, Tabasco, Veracruz, Yucatan]
SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Arizona, California]

Pacific

NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]

Southern America

CARIBBEAN: West Indies
MESOAMERICA: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Reference
Animal food	fodder	Markle, G. M. et al., eds. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2. 1998
Animal food	forage	Markle, G. M. et al., eds. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2. 1998
Environmental	erosion control	Alderson, J. & W. C. Sharp. Grass varieties in the United States, U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 170, rev. ed. 1995
Weed		USDA/ARS. INVADERS database system. The University of Montana (on-line resource).

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2025. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://ausgenebank.agriculture.vic.gov.au/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=18953. Accessed 5 January 2025.