Thatch grass

The scientific name of Thatch grass: Saccharum spontaneum Linn

Name of Thatch grass in different languages:-

English: Thatch grass, Kusha Grass

Hindi: Kas

Sanskrit: Kasah, Kusha

Malayalam: Kusadarbha

Tamil: Pekkarimpu

Plant description:

It is a tall erect, perennial grass, found throughout India, grows up to 6 m in height with slender culms and aggressive rhizome bearing extensive roots. Leaves simple, 30-75 cm by 3-6 mm, sheathing, narrowly linear, finely acuminate, rigid, coriaceous, ligule ovate, membranous, spikelets in pairs, on silky hairy panicles, pale or greyish white to purplish grey in colour; panicle 20-60 cm long; spikelets 4 mm long, lanceolate; callus minute, bearded with spreading silky hairs 13 mm long; glumes 4, coriaceous and brown below, obscurely keeled, single nerved; grains oblong to sub-globose.

Useful plant parts: Roots

Medicinal uses: burning sensation, renal and vesical calculi, phthisis, agalactia

Chemical content:

Medicinal properties: sweet, astringent, emollient, refrigerant, diuretic, haemostatic, laxative, aphrodisiac, and tonic.