Eragrostis minor Host, Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Eragrostis poaeoides Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult.; Poa eragrostis L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: xiao hua mei cao

English: little love grass, small love grass, small stink grass, smaller stinkgrass

French: petite éragrostide

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Annual.  Leaf sheath with white, hairy tuft at apex.  Leaf blade narrow-linear, to c. 10 cm long.  Margins usually with small glandular depressions.  Panicles to c. 50 cm high, with open habit.  Spikelets stalked, mostly 4-8 mm long and c. 2 mm wide"  (Sykes, 1970; p. 242).

"Habit: Annual; caespitose. Glands wart-like (on keel). Culms geniculately ascending; 6-60 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 3-12 cm long; 1-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins glandular, or eglandular. Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; dense, or loose; 4-20 cm long. Panicle branches stiff; eglandular, or glandular. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 1-3 mm long; eglandular, or glandular. Fertile spikelets: Spikelets comprising 6-16(-40) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3-15 mm long; 1.3-2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes definite. Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1-1.7 mm long; 1 times length of upper glume; eglandular, or glandular (on keel); 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1-1.7 mm long; 0.7-0.8 times length of adjacent fertile lemma; eglandular, or glandular; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute. Florets: Fertile lemma ovate, or orbicular; 1.5-2 mm long; chartaceous; yellow, or grey, or purple; glandular on veins (keel); keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped. Flower: Anthers 3; 0.3 mm long. Fruit: Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 0.7-0.8 mm long; dark brown"  (GrassBase).

Habitat/ecology:  (no habitat/ecology info known by PIER)

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Southern Europe, northern Africa and Asia; naturalized elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 42)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 42)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Saipan	Saipan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 42)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 42)
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (p. 242) Weed in pasture trial. Present status unknown. Voucher cited: CHR 156827
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Wake Islands	Wake Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 42)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Wake Islands	Wake Island	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R. (1955) (p. 4) Voucher cited: Fosberg 34458 (US)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Naturalised
British Columbia (province of Canada) Province of British Columbia	Canada (British Columbia)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Mountain slopes, grasslands, roadsides. Anhui, Beijing, Fujian, Guizhou, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 71)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 71)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Chile (Republic of)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 71)
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Mountain slopes, grasslands, roadsides.
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Canada Canada	Canada	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Eragrostis minor, please let us know.