Eragrostis elliottii Wats., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 12 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: field lovegrass

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 40-80 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 20-40 cm long; 2-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.  Inflorescence a panicle; deciduous as a whole.  Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 20-40 cm long; 0.5-0.6 of culm length. Primary panicle branches ascending; subdividing 2-4 times. Panicle branches stiff.  Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 9-25 mm long.  Spikelets comprising 8-15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 5-12 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.  Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.  Florets: Fertile lemma ovate; 2 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.  Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.  Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 0.7 mm long"  (GrassBase).

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

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  (native range not known by PIER)

Presence:

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 and Florida) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2009)
United States (continental except west coast and Florida) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2009)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Eragrostis elliottii is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Eragrostis elliottii as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Eragrostis elliottii may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

U. S. Government. 2009. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2009. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.