Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Fijian lovegrass

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Perennial, densely tufted grass.  Culms erect, 20-70 cm long, glabrous.  Leaf sheath glabrous except for long hairs ca. 2 mm long at the throat; ligule a fringe of hairs ca. 0.3 mm long.  Leaf blade linear, 5-15 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, flat or slightly folded, surfaces scabrous, margins finely scabrous and often involute.  Inflorescence a panicle 5-15 cm long from the first branch, with solitary branches 1-4 cm long densely flowered from near the base.  Spikelets oblong, 4-7 mm long, 11-18-flowered, appressed to the branches.  Glumes glabrous, 1-nerved, 1.5-2 mm long, scabrid on the keel.  Lemmas 1.5-2 mm long, 3-nerved, imbricate, minutely scabrous on the keel; paleae conspicuously ciliate on the margins, about as long as the lemmas, with the caryopsis falling free of the floret.  Distinguishable by its small grass habit, panicle of short branches flowered from the base, and small brown seed that falls free of the spikelet" (Whistler & Steele, 1999; p. 85).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, "between 10 and 60 m on bare, dry hillsides and limestone ridges, becoming luxuriant in moist hollows" (Whistler & Steele, 1999, p. 85).  On Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, "occasional as a weed of disturbed places, such as lawns and roadsides" (Whistler & Steele, 1999, p. 85).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "This grass is native to Fiji and was considered to be endemic there, but is now known elsewhere in the Pacific from Micronesia, Polynesia, and New Caledonia" (Whistler & Steele, 1999, p. 85).

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		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Fulanga Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 303)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Kambara Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 303)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Koro Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 303)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Lakemba Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 303)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Olorua Island	native	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 303) Voucher cited: Bryan 528
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Bikini (Pikinni) Atoll		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Enewetak (Ãnewetak, Eniwetok) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 43)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kili (Kõle) Atoll	introduced invasive	Vander Velde, Nancy/Vander Velde, Brian (2006) (p. 4) "Common to abundant; major component of grassy fields, in ruderal areas throughout most of island".
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 42) Eragrostis brownii sensu Fosberg et al. 1987; non (Kunth) Nees
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 85) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 48044 (1966), Herbst 8890, Herbst 8954, Herbst 8983, Herbst 9001, Whistler 11235
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Rongerik (Roñdik) Atoll	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 85)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Arno Atoll	introduced invasive	Vander Velde, Nancy/Vander Velde, Brian (2007) (p. 3) "Common; in lawns and ruderal areas".
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced invasive	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 51)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Maloelap Atoll		Imada, Clyde (2006)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Wotje (Wõjjã) Atoll	introduced	Vander Velde, Nancy/Vander Velde, Brian (2009) (p. 3) Voucher cited: Vander Velde 0516200910
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands	native	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 85)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Palmyra Atoll	Palmyra Atoll	introduced	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 85)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Wake Islands	Wake Island	introduced invasive	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 85)

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