Melinis repens

Natal red top
File:Rhynchelytrum repens (Rose Natal grass) in Hyderabad, AP W IMG 1458.jpg
File:Melinis repens spikelets6 annotated (6969369612).jpg
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

• Jepson Manual Treatment
• USDA Plants Profile
• Western Australian Flora
• Grass Manual Treatment
• Melinis repens in West African plants – A Photo Guide.