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Melinis nerviglumis
Also called Bristle Leaved Red Top Grass
Bristle Leaved Red Top (Melinis nerviglumis) is a perennial grass from tropical and southern Africa, grown for its purple summer flowers that fade to white. It is a drought-tolerant grass that needs full sun and well-drained soil.
Melinis nerviglumis is a species of grass known by the common names mountain red top or bristle-leaved red top. The Latin name refers to the veined glume. It is native from tropical to southern Africa, the western Indian Ocean islands, and Indochina. It is cultivated as a garden ornamental due to its colourful purple flowers. The flowers are produced in summer and fade to white as they mature. By this time the seeds can be harvested for new plantings.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Melinis nerviglumis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
