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Jointhead

Arthraxon hispidus

Family: Poaceae Genus: Arthraxon Species: hispidus

Synonyms: Andropogon amplexifolius, Arthraxon violaceus, Digitaria hispida, Deyeuxia japonica, Andropogon alectoridia, Lucaea langsdorffiana, Andropogon plumbeus, Arthraxon hispidus f. formosanus, Pleuroplitis langsdorffii var. caucasica, Arthraxon ciliaris var. australis, Arthraxon hispidus var. ciliaris, Arthraxon caucasicus, Arthraxon hispidus var. japonicus, Arthraxon hispidus var. muticus, Arthraxon major, Arthraxon hispidus subsp. ciliaris, Batratherum plumbeum, Pleuroplitis langsdorffii var. submutica, Arthraxon ciliaris subsp. langsdorffii, Arthraxon ciliaris var. glabrescens, Pleuroplitis langsdorffii, Lasiolytrum hispidum, Arthraxon hispidus f. vriesii, Arthraxon gracilis, Lucaea major, Arthraxon quartinianus var. caespitosus, Arthraxon kobuna f. hispidissimus, Arthraxon hispidus var. hispidissimus, Arthraxon ciliaris subsp. quartinianus, Lucaea violacea, Arthraxon langsdorffii var. submuticus, Pleuroplitis centrasiatica, Arthraxon okamotoi, Arthraxon langsdorffii var. centrasiaticus, Spodiopogon ciliaris, Arthraxon plumbeus, Arthraxon hispidus f. centrasiaticus, Arthraxon ciliaris subsp. vriesii, Arthraxon hispidus f. kobuna, Pleuroplitis caucasica, Arthraxon hispidus var. centrasiaticus, Arthraxon hispidus subsp. caucasicus, Arthraxon cryptatherus, Arthraxon cryptatherus var. ciliaris, Arthraxon hispidus var. hookeri, Arthraxon centrasiaticus, Arthraxon ciliaris var. hookeri, Arthraxon langsdorffianus, Arthraxon pauciflorus var. muticus, Pleuroplitis plumbea, Pleuroplitis quartiniana, Arthraxon mauritianus, Leersia hispida, Dimeria scrobiculata, Arthraxon langsdorffii, Arthraxon hispidus var. vriesii, Alectoridia quartiniana, Pleuroplitis langsdorffii var. gracilis, Arthraxon hispidus f. riukiuensis, Arthraxon quartinianus var. glabrescens, Phalaris hispida, Lucaea plumbea, Pleuroplitis langsdorffii var. breviseta, Arthraxon kobuna var. hispidissimus, Arthraxon hispidus var. macranthus, Pleuroplitis violacea, Lucaea vriesii, Arthraxon hispidus var. monticola, Pleuroplitis langsdorffii var. centrasiatica, Arthraxon japonicus, Arthraxon lasiocoleus, Lucaea gracilis, Arthraxon pallidus, Arthraxon hispidus f. langsdorffii, Arthraxon kobuna, Arthraxon ciliaris var. centrasiaticus, Arthraxon quartinianus var. monostachyus, Arthraxon hispidus var. quartinianus, Arthraxon hispidus f. japonicus, Arthraxon cuspidatus var. micans, Arthraxon ciliaris var. tenellus, Arthraxon ciliaris var. coloratus, Arthraxon hispidus subsp. centrasiaticus, Pleuroplitis quartiniana var. plumbea, Arthraxon ciliaris var. quartinianus, Arthraxon cryptatherus subsp. submuticus, Arthraxon hispidus f. brevisetus, Pollinia ciliaris, Pleuroplitis langsdorffii var. chinensis, Arthraxon ciliaris subsp. submuticus, Sorghum ciliare, Arthraxon ciliaris var. genuinus, Pleuroplitis langsdorffii var. japonica, Chilochloa hispida, Arthraxon hispidus f. quartinianus, Pleuroplitis quartiniana var. caespitosa, Arthraxon quartinianus var. tenellus, Arthraxon hispidus var. microphyllus, Arthraxon pauciflorus, Arthraxon hispidus f. hispidissimus, Arthraxon quartinianus var. montanus, Arthraxon hispidus var. cryptatherus, Arthraxon hispidus subsp. langsdorffii, Arthraxon coloratus, Lasiolytrum hirtum, Andropogon violaceus, Arthraxon ciliaris var. cryptatherus, Arthraxon micans, Andropogon micans, Arthraxon hispidus var. brevisetus, Pleuroplitis quartiniana var. tenella, Arthraxon cryptatherus var. centrasiaticus, Andropogon lasiocoleus, Arthraxon hispidus f. monticola, Arthraxon hookeri, Batratherum micans, Arthraxon ciliaris, Arthraxon glabrescens, Arthraxon quartinianus subsp. vriesii, Arthraxon quartinianus, Arthraxon langsdorffii var. cryptatherus, Arthraxon ciliaris var. gracilis

Jointhead (en)
Arthraxon hispidus β€” flower
Arthraxon hispidus β€” flower

Botanical Description

Arthraxon hispidus, the hairy jointgrass or small carpetgrass, is a slender, sprawling to weakly ascending annual grass in the family Poaceae, native to East and South Asia, Australia and parts of Africa and the Pacific, and widely naturalised as an introduced weed in eastern North America and elsewhere. The slender, branching, often purplish stems trail or scramble along the ground to 20 to 60 centimetres, rooting freely at the lower nodes, and bear short, soft, broadly ovate to lanceolate-cordate leaf blades 2 to 5 centimetres long that clasp the stem with rounded basal auricles and are fringed with long, conspicuous, white, papilla-based hairs along their margins, giving the plant its specific epithet hispidus. The slender, finger-like inflorescences are digitately arranged at the top of the culms, with two to ten thin, purplish racemes each 2 to 5 centimetres long. Spikelets are paired but appear single, awned, and shed entire at maturity. The plant favours moist, partially shaded ground along streambanks, lawn edges and roadside ditches and is regarded as an aggressive invasive in some regions.

Native Region: Andaman Is., Assam, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Gulf of Guinea Is., Hainan, India, Inner Mongolia, Iran, Japan, Jawa, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kirgizstan, Korea, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Manchuria, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, New Guinea, New South Wales, Nigeria, North Caucasus, Ogasawara-shoto, Oman, Philippines, Queensland, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Socotra, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Tadzhikistan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Xinjiang, Yemen, Zambia, ZaΓ―re

Cultural & Historical Context

Traditional American Uses

None Documented

Chemistry & External Identifiers

Trefle ID
225119

Important Disclaimer

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.