Wūjooj (Lepturus repens - Poaceae)

Description: Like several other grasses and some sedges species, Lepturus is known as wūjooj. This grass species is highly variable in form. It is a many-branched, creeping grass with stems as long as 50 cm (20 in) that easily root at the nodes (joints). The leaves are slender and up to 20 cm (8 in) long.

Distribution: Wūjooj is one of the most common plants in the Marshall Islands. It is a native species and grows abundantly on rocky and sandy shores of both atolls and high islands in the tropical Pacific region, frequently in sand just above the hightide mark. A closely related species, Lepturus gasparricensis, is endemic to Pokaak and Enen Kio (Wake) Islands.

Uses: This grass is used as chicken and pig food, and the pounded juice extracted from the leaves is used for healing cuts.

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