Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Eragrostis superba
Peyr, Poaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Massai lovegrass, Wilman love grass, heart-seed grass, sawtooth love grass

Spanish: pasto avena

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Habit: Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 20-120 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 10-40 cm long; 2-10 mm wide; glaucous. Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 10-30 cm long. Primary panicle branches simple, or moderately divided. Panicle branches stiff. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 1-5 mm long. Spikelets comprising 6-28(-47) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate, or orbicular; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 6-16(-23) mm long; 3-10 mm wide; falling entire. Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2-4 mm long; 1 times length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2-4 mm long; 0.6-0.9 times length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.  Fertile florets imbricate to tip. Fertile lemma ovate; 3-4.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels thickened; winged; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped. Flower: Anthers 3; 2 mm long. Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1-1.5 mm long"  (GrassBase).

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

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Africa (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Hawai‘i (Big) Island introduced
invasive
Herbst, Derral R./Clayton, W. D. (1998) (p. 28)
Voucher cited: Funk & Hall 252 (BISH)
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Maui Island introduced
invasive
Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim (2011) (p. 30)
East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr & Starr 080220-01 (BISH)
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)
Australia (continental) introduced
invasive
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico (United Mexican States) introduced
invasive
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Naturalized

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


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 12 FEB 2007 and was last updated on 30 NOV 2008.