Aristida pungens is a member of the family Poaceae

Poaceae

The Poaceae is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called grasses, although the term "grass" is also applied to plants that are not in the Poaceae lineage, including the rushes and sedges...

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Uses

The grass is known in Arabic as Drinn. It is a tall perennial plant with deep roots and long leaves. Extremely drought resistant, drinn grows in areas with as little as 70 mm of rainfall per year. A traditional food plant in Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

, this little-known grain has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.