Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees, Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Eragrostis chloromelas Steud.; Eragrostis subulata Nees

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: wan ye hua mei cao

English: African lovegrass, Boer love grass, weeping lovegrass

Spanish: pasto llorón

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Stiff, densely tufted perennials, to 70 cm; branching intravaginal, shoots ± thickened at base. Leaf-sheath coriaceous, strongly ribbed, light creamy brown at base, purplish above, with short, scattered, stiff hairs, lower sheaths tomentose near base. Ligule ciliate, hairs 0.8-1.4 mm. Collar hairs 2-5.5 mm. Leaf-blade 10-55 cm x 0.5-1.3 mm diameter., narrowly involute or convolute, abaxially glabrous, adaxially ribbed, ribs minutely scabrid; margins minutely scabrid, long-narrowed to filiform, acute, scabrid tip. Culm 20-80 cm, rarely branched above, erect, internodes glabrous. Panicle 12-22 cm, lax, at first narrow-sagittate, later more open; branches ascending to later spreading, solitary or binate, ± scabrid, branch-axils at lower nodes with hairs (to 4 mm). Spikelets 4.5-6-(8) mm, 4-6-(8)-flowered, ± smooth, not very compressed, linear-lanceolate, olive-grey. Glumes unequal, hyaline, 1-nerved, oblong-lanceolate, apex subacute, minutely scabrid; lower 1.6-2 mm, upper 2.2-2.8 mm. Lemma 2.5-2.8 mm, 3-(5)-nerved, membranous, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, hardly keeled, minutely scabrid. Palea ≈ lemma, keels sparsely scabrid, apex truncate, ciliate. Rachilla glabrous, 0.6-0.8 mm. Stamens 3; anthers 0.9-1.6 mm. Caryopsis 1.4-1.6 x 0.6-0.8 mm"  (Edgar & Connor, 2000; p. 528).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  "Heath- and shrubland, grass- and woodland, seasonal freshwater wetlands.  Where native, this grass is found in moist sandy soils and in disturbed woodlands.  It is drought tolerant and very tolerant to soil salinity; germination can take place under high soil salinity levels.  It does not grow on wet, seepy soils and does not tolerate standing water.  The grass establishes easily and persists well under grazing.  Where invasive, it becomes dominant on low-fertility soils and the dense tussocks displace native vegetation"  (Weber, 2003; p. 154).

Propagation:  Seed, dispersed by water, wind and animals  (Weber, 2003; p. 154).

Native range:  Eastern and southern Africa; 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
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaho‘olawe Island	introduced invasive	Herbst, Derral R./Clayton, W. D. (1998) (p. 26) Vouchers cited: Aschermann s.n. (BISH 634250), Warren s.n. (BISH 634223)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (p. 20) East Maui. Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H60109 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Herbst, Derral R./Clayton, W. D. (1998) (p. 26) "Uncommon in abondoned sugarcane fields". Voucher cited: Nagata 4437 (BISH)
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea) New Guinea Island	New Guinea Island	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced cultivated	Henty, E. E. (1969) (p. 96) Trial as a pasture grass.

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, Tasmania, Western Australia Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Queensland Herbarium (2002) (p. 3)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Commonly cultivated for ornament. Fujian, Guangxi, Hubei, Jiangsu, Xinjiang, Yunnan.
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 334)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 528) "Roadsides, in sandy soil, or on banks, depleted tussock grassland, stony flats and waste land. Some records are of escapes from experimental plots".
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Chile (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 144)
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
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  For additional control information see the information sheet from Weedbusters New Zealand.

Physical:  "Smaller plants can be dug out, the crowns must be removed to prevent regrowth.  Burning before flowering starts is used to remove topgrowth.  Re-establishment of desirable overstorey species can shade out the grass".

Chemical:  "Regrowth and seedlings are sprayed with grass-selective herbicides"  (Weber, 2003; p. 154).