Tripsacum dactyloides - Sesame Grass

Family:	Gramineae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	2.5
Width:	1
Synonyms:
Range:	Eastern N. America - Massachusetts to Michigan and Nebraska, south to Florida, Oklahoma and Texas.

Tripsacum dactyloides (Sesame Grass) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 2.5m and a width of 1m . It has a hardness rating of 7and is vunerable to frost.
Sesame Grass will flower in February to March. The flowers from this plant are monoecious (both sexes are found on the plant but each flower is either male or female) and they are pollinated by Wind

Soil Information

Sesame Grass will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Sesame Grass prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Sesame Grass should not be planted in shady areas.

Swales, moist fields, woodland edges and shores[43].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Grows on a sunny edge
• Can be planted in Cultivated Beds

Cultivation Details

A very easily grown plant, it succeeds in ordinary garden soil[1]. A fairly hardy plant, it withstands severe frost in S. England[1] and seems to be perfectly hardy in Cambridge Botanical gardens[K]. This species is currently (1992) under development as a potential perennial grain crop[183]. The seed has a very high protein content and this can be sacrificed to some extent in order to try and improve overall yields (these are quite low at present)[183]. Bi-generic hybrids with Zea spp are known to occur[162].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
Seed - cooked or ground into a flour[2, 183]. The popped seed is almost indistinguishable from strawberry popcorn[183]. Seeds contain about 27% protein, this is about 3 times the protein found in corn and twice that of wheat. It is also about twice as high in the amino acid methionine as corn[183].

• Seed - includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 0/5
None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
F. Chittendon.
Author: F. Chittendon.
Rating:
Publisher : Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
Date of Publication : 1951

Gray's Manual of Botany.
Fernald. M. L.
Author: Fernald. M. L.
Rating:
Publisher : A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
Date of Publication : 1950

Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas
Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J
Author: Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J
Rating: http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm
Publisher : An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.
Date of Publication : 1999

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