Eleusine indica

Eleusine indica, a common annual grass, is woven into several regional folk‑medicine traditions. Among the Yoruba of Nigeria, fresh leaves are boiled to make a decoction that is taken to ease urinary infections (PROTA, 2006). The Kikuyu of Kenya apply a poultice of crushed leaves directly to wounds to promote healing (PROTA, 2006). In the Caribbean, Cuban folk healers steep a small amount of dried leaves in hot water and drink the mild tea to calm coughs and relieve cold symptoms (Duke & Wain, 1981). In each case the preparations use the leaf tissue, which is harvested fresh and then either simmered, steeped, or pressed. The plant is usually harvested in the early morning when its leaves contain the highest moisture content, which helps preserve the active flavonoids.

A simple, safe tea can be prepared for general tonic use: place 10 g of dried leaf material in a heat‑proof cup, pour 250 mL of freshly boiled water over it, cover and let the infusion sit for 10 minutes, then strain and drink. The tea is usually taken warm, one cup twice a day. For a poultice, crush 30 g of fresh leaves, spread the moist mash onto a clean cloth, and apply it to the affected skin for 15 minutes, repeating up to three times daily. Because Eleusine indica contains mild irritant compounds, pregnant women should avoid its internal use and anyone with known grass‑pollen allergy should test a small skin patch before applying a poultice.

Phytochemical surveys repeatedly identify flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol) and phenolic acids (caffeic, ferulic) as the major antioxidants in the leaves, alongside coumarins such as scopoletin and modest levels of alkaloids like trigonelline (see Gupta et al., 2018). These constituents are known to exhibit anti‑inflammatory and antimicrobial activity in vitro, providing a plausible biochemical basis for the traditional uses as wound‑healing poultices and for soothing irritations of the urinary and respiratory tracts.

Current research is exploring the diuretic and anti‑inflammatory potential of Eleusine indica extracts, and a few herbal manufacturers now market standardized leaf powders as ‘goose‑grass tea’ in health‑food stores, primarily for digestive and respiratory support. Nevertheless, the plant remains chiefly a wild‑weed resource, and its continued gathering in the regions noted above keeps the traditional knowledge alive while prompting modern scientific investigations. Recent in vitro studies have shown that the leaf extracts inhibit bacterial growth, supporting the traditional wound‑healing application.

Common products:
- Livestock and poultry feed: green herbage and dried hay are grazed and cut for livestock, and mature plants are collected for feeding poultry; seed is also used as poultry feed in parts of Africa.

Industrial and craft applications:
- Thatch and thatching: dried stems are used in traditional thatching in parts of Africa; the species is occasionally harvested for broom making, though broom millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is the principal broom crop in the same regions.

Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
- Grain and flour: locally collected grains are pounded into flour and baked as bread or made into porridge in parts of Africa and India.

Colorants and tanning:
- No documented industrial or craft uses as a dyestuff or tanning agent.

Wood and fiber:
- Structural timber: none.
- Fiber: occasionally stripped to make twine and plaited into mats in Africa.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
- No documented uses.

Properties relevant to use:
- Forage and fodder: the species produces moderate herbage with acceptable crude protein and digestibility typical of C4 grasses, supporting seasonal grazing and hay when mature plants are cut before seed set.
- Grain: small, hard caryopses; whole grains can be parched or roasted, then milled for flour; thickening of batters and doughs requires mashing or fermentation with other flours due to the absence of gluten.

Standards and regulation:
- No established species-specific grading or safety standards for grain; where marketed as food, the crop follows national cereal standards (e.g., moisture limits, foreign matter tolerances).

Sustainability and sourcing:
- The plant is an annual C4 grass with high seed output and rapid regrowth after cutting, enabling multiple harvests per season; persistence through mowing and tolerance of trampling make it suitable for forage systems.
- Occasional harvesting for non-food uses is typically from ruderal or semi-natural habitats; no documented large-scale cultivation for fiber, thatching, or grain.

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