Melinis repens

Natal red top
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
(unranked):	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Genus:	Melinis
Species:	M. repens
Binomial name
Melinis repens (Willd.) Zizka
Synonyms
Rhynchelytrum repens Saccharum repens Tricholaena repens Tricholaena rosea

Melinis repens is a species of grass known by the common names rose Natal grass, or simply Natal grass, and Natal red top. It is native to southern Africa but it is well known on other continents, including North America and Australia, as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed. It is an annual or perennial grass which may grow up to a meter tall, its growth rate dependent on temperature. The inflorescence is an open array of branches bearing spikelets which are densely coated in silky white or pink hairs.

External links

• Grass Manual Treatment
• Jepson Manual Treatment — invasive plant species in California.
• USDA Plants Profile — invasive plant species.
• Western Australian Flora — invasive plant species.

• Melinis repens in West African plants – A Photo Guide.