The scientific name of dogtail grass is Pennisetum.
The rhizome of Pennisetum is short and clumpy, the stalks are clustered, the leaf sheaths are loose, bristles, and the edges are ciliated. The ligule is a circle of cilia about 1 mm long; the leaves are linear and more or less hairy. The panicle is tightly cylindrical, yellow to purple, and the spikelets are often recurved when mature.
The setae are unequal in length, the outer ones are thinner and shorter, and the inner ones have feathery silk hairs; the spikelets are ovate-lanceolate; the first glume is degenerated; the second glume is slightly longer than the first lemma As long as the spikelet, the two ridges and apex of the first lemma are hairy; the second lemma is slightly cartilaginous and shorter than the spikelet.
Uses of dog's tail grass:
1. Dog's tail grass can be used as feed.
Pennisetum fresh grass contains high content of crude fat, crude protein, crude fiber, nitrogen-free extract and ash, and is rich in nutrients. It is a high-grade feed grass for cattle, sheep, rabbits, Goose, fish and other animals like to eat.
The whole plant contains 2.6% crude fat, 10.27% crude protein, 34.55% nitrogen-free extract, 34.40% crude fiber, and 10.60% crude ash.
Because of its advantages such as drought resistance, salt resistance, moisture tolerance, no disease occurrence, loose requirements on soil conditions, and rapid growth, it has been widely promoted in southern provinces such as Guangdong, Fujian, Guangxi, Hainan, and Zhejiang. Cultivation as a good source of feed for herbivorous livestock and fish.
2. Other uses.
1. Hay in autumn can also be used as fuel to make fires, boil water for cooking, and to make beds for warmth.
2. Furfural can be extracted from the spikelets. After boiling the whole plant with water for 20 minutes, the filtrate can be sprayed to kill vegetable insects.
3. Pennisetum is a raw material for weaving or papermaking; it is also often used as a loquat for oiling in local methods; it can also be used to solidify embankments and prevent sand.