Bothriochloa bladhii (commonly called, variously, Australian bluestem, Caucasian bluestem, forest-bluegrass, plains bluestem, and purple plume grass) is a Neotropic grass in the family Poaceae, found primarily in tropical Africa, and tropical and temperate Asia, and Australia. The type specimen was collected from China by Finnish botanist Peter Johan Bladh. The name of Bladh is honored in the specific epithet.
Distribution Bothriochloa bladhii is native to Africa from Senegal and Ethiopia southwards to South Africa; the Middle East; much of temperate and tropical, southern and eastern Asia, Malesia, and Australia. Bothriochloa bladhii has also become naturalized elsewhere in the neotropics.
Uses Bothriochloa bladhii is used as stored food for local livestock, and as a grazing plant by both livestock and wild ruminants. It is sometimes planted as a revegetator, to restore disturbed land.
References External links GrassBase page for Bothriochloa bladhii Picture of Bothriochloa bladhii from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR) website, courtesy of the Bishop Museum, Herbarium Pacificum