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Grass Gallery
Poaceae, Chloridoideae, Eragrostideae - Lovegrass
(Family, Subfamily, Tribe)
tribe Eragrostideae
Mediteranean Lovegrass (Pitted Lovegrass) Eragrostis barrelieri
This is a very opportunistic grass that has circled the globe. It will grow where others will not.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, June 2004
(Introduced, native to the Mediterranean - Taylor, Nolan, Callahan, Eastland, Runnels, Coleman, Brown)
Base: annual, clump grass, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 1-5mm wide, 3-10cm long, mostly glabrous but with scattered hairs, tip edges roll inward
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): glabrous with short hairs at throat, shorter than culm internodes
Culm (main grain stem): reclined, 20-55cm tall, branching at lower nodes
Inflorescence: open panicle 5-16cm long, 2-8cm wide, glandular spots or rings
Auxiliary Inflorescence: a few spikelets at the end of each sheath
Branch: ascending to spreading, wavy, not rebranching, 1.5-5.5cm long, glandular spots or rings
Spikelet: linear, 5-11mm long, 1-1.5mm wide, 6-15 flowers, on short pedicel
Lemma: reddish spots, conspicuous lateral nerves
tribe Eragrostideae
Stinkgrass Eragrostis cilianensis
like E. barrelieri but the spikelets wider and are clustered on short branching branches. Plant has glands on nearly all parts of the plant which produces a bad odor when crushed.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, July 2007
(Introduced, native of Eurasia - Taylor, Nolan, Fisher, Coleman)
Base: annual, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 2.5-7mm wide, 10-20cm long, flat or folded, gland pits on lower rib
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): overlapping, glabrous, hairs at throat, gland pits in keel
Culm (main grain stem): 10-60cm tall, branching at base and nodes, often bend at node, ring of glands below node
Inflorescence: dense to open panicle 5.5-16cm long, 2.8-5cm wide, short branches
Spikelet: linear, flattened, 6-20mm long, 2-4mm wide, 12-40 flowers, on short pedicel
Glume: gland pits on keel
Lemma: conspicuous lateral nerves, gland pits on keel
tribe Eragrostideae
Red Lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora var. oxylepis (Eragrostis beyrichii)
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, September 2007
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Nolan, Callahan, Eastland, Brown)
Base: perennial, no rhizomes, no stolons (runner stem)
Blade (leaf): 2-2.5mm wide, 10-15cm long, flat to edges roll inward, long hairs near ligule
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): overlapping, soft hairs at throat and sometimes down margins
Culm (main grain stem): 30-75cm tall
Inflorescence: contracted panicle 5-30cm long, 1-15cm wide, spikelets clustered on short branches
Branch: mostly appressed, 1-14cm long
Spikelet: linear-oblong to ovate, flat, 6-20mm long, 3-5mm wide, 10-25 flowers, on short pedicel that disarticulates when mature
Glume: first 2.5-3mm long, second 3-4mm long
Lemma: 1.6-2.4mm long, about 1.2mm wide, strongly overlapping, pointed, awnless, straw to reddish-purple, conspicuous lateral nerves
Variation?
This specimen was cultivated from a native seed mix. Its identity was difficult to determine. The young spikelets are much rounder, more compressed, and the apex is not notched.
Similar Species
subfamily Centothecoideae, tribe Centotheceae - Woodoats
Inland Sea-oats (Spangle Grass, Indian Woodoats, Broad-leaf Woodoats) Chasmanthium latifolium (Uniola latifolia)
Similar to Eragrostis secundiflora but with long pedicels and droopy branches.
(Native of Texas - not in my area)
Base: perennial, with rhizomes
Blade (leaf): 1-2cm wide, thin, flat, narrowing at both ends
Sheath (leaf part encircling stem): glabrous, tiny ligule
Culm (main grain stem): erect, unbranched, leafy, up to 1.5 meters tall,
Nodes: glabrous, reddish-purple
Inflorescence: many thin drooping branches.
Spikelet: 0.6-1.6cm wide, 2-5cm long, 6-17 flowers, flat, awnless, on long pedicels
Glume: laterally compressed, sharply keeled, 0.5-0.7mm long, pointed, 5-7 nerved
Lemma: laterally compressed, sharply keeled, 11-15 nerved
Other Species In My Area
Gummy Lovegrass Eragrostis curtipedicellata
8”-24” tall. Stiffly spreading panicle, stems feel sticky to the touch. Poor forage for wildlife and cattle.
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Eastland, Brown)
Weeping Lovegrass (African Lovegrass) Eragrostis curvula
Drooping narrow leaves. Open panicle above foliage, 2-4 feet tall.
(Introduced, native of Africa - Callahan)
Plains Lovegrass Eragrostis intermedia
20"-32" tall. Blades are usually hairy at the base. Inflorescence is soft to the touch. Poor forage for wildlife and cattle.
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Callahan, Eastland, Brown)
Mourning Lovegrass Eragrostis lugens
(Native of Texas - Taylor)
Desert Lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea var. miserrima
(Native of Texas - Brown)
Spreading Lovegrass (Tufted Lovegrass) Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea
(Native of Texas - Taylor)
Tumble Lovegrass Eragrostis sessilispica
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Callahan, Coleman, Brown)
Sand Lovegrass Eragrostis trichodes
2-4 feet tall. Deep roots. Good cattle forage.
(Native of Texas - Callahan, Runnels, Brown)
Other Species In My Area - Neeragrostis
Creeping Lovegrass Neeragrostis reptans (Eragrostis reptans)
Stolons with tufts of short leaves. Female flower like Tridens. Male flower like Windmill.
(Native of Texas - Taylor)
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