Eragrostis unioloides (Retz.) Nees ex Steud., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Poa unioloides Retz.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: niu shi cao

English: Chinese love grass, Chinese lovegrass

Habit:  grass

Description: 

Genus: "Annuals or perennials; panicle open or contracted, bearing few- to many-flowered spikelets, the florets generally imbricate, the rachilla disarticulating above the glumes and between the florets, the lemmas deciduous, acuminate or acute, keeled or rounded on the back, 3-nerved, the nerves usually prominent; paleae sometimes persistent, 2-nerved, the keels sometimes ciliate, the glumes sometimes unequal, acuminate or acute, 1-nerved" (Smith, 1979; pp. 301-302).

Species:  "Culms erect, 25-60 cm high; leaf blades flat, narrow, 7.5-15 cm long, 1.5-3 mm broad; panicle 7-15 cm long, the racemes purplish, ascending, 2-7 cm long, branched; spikelets ovate, compressed, truncate at base, obtuse at apex, 10-25-flowered, usually purplish in color, the paleae and lemmas usually falling together" (Smith, 1979; pp. 301-302).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  In Fiji, occurs "with some frequency on Viti Levu...from sea level to about 200 m in fields, pastures, and along roadsides.  It is a moderately common weed locally and probably is to be expected on other islands"  (Smith, 1979; pp. 301-302).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Southern Asia, but now widespread (Smith, 1979; pp. 301-302).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1997) (voucher ID: PTBG 24410) Taxon name on voucher: Eragrostis unioloides (Retz.) Nees
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 301-303) Vouchers cited: Greenwood 815A, DA 8639, DA 6084, DA 1187, DA 8453, DA 7526, DA 8709, DA 7713, Smith 7093, DA 7592
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Herbst, Derral R./Wagner, Warren L. (1999) (pp. 26-27) Vouchers cited: Kawasaki s.n. (BISH 118925), Wagner & Stemmermann 4634 (BISH), Stemmermann 7128 (BISH), Wagner et al. 5969 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank (2008) (p. 32) East Maui. Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H90639 (BISH)
Papua New Guinea Bougainville Islands	Bougainville Island		Foreman, D. B. (1971) (p. 25)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (pp. 90-91) In open wet places at low altitudes.
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 78)

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)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Mountain slopes, grasslands, roadsides. Fujian, Hainan, Jiangxi, Yunnan.
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 335) On grasslands, hillslopes and along roadside.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	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
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	native	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 39) Common
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Mountain slopes, grasslands, roadsides.
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. 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) Georgia, Maryland
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 unioloides, please let us know.