Species

Eragrostis curvula

Etymology

Eragrostis: From the Greek eros 'love' and agrostis 'grass'

Common Name(s)

African love grass

Authority

Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees

Family

Poaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

ERACUR

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Grasses

Habitat

Terrestrial. Dry steep sites, short and tall tussock grassland, coastal areas, riverbeds, cliffs, herbfields.

Features

Variable, densely tufted, tussock-like, erect or prostrate perennial grass to 1-1.5 m tall. Deciduous in cold areas. Roots fibrous, up to 50 cm deep. Leaves narrow and hair-like, 3-7 mm wide, rolled inwards, rough, bright green to bluegreen (blushes bronze-red after hard frost), usually curly at tips. Seedheads usually loose, airy panicles (occ compressed), 6-30 x 4-20 cm, with tufts of white hair on lower axils. Seeds blackish olive-purple (ripening greyish); on arching stems to 1 m long, Summer. Several vars. in NZ, harshness and palatability varies widely.

Similar Taxa

A vigorous densely tufted, perennial grass up to 1.5m high. Bright blue-green leaves that are harsh to the touch. The flower heads are more open than most other large grasses in NZ and are slightly pyramid shaped. The only grass in NZ with blackish seeds and curly leaf tips.

Flowering

November, December

Year Naturalised

1969

Origin

Africa

Reason For Introduction
Agricultural

Life Cycle Comments
Perennial.

Reproduction
Seed and vegetative spread.

Seed
Produces many seeds.

Dispersal
Can be dispersed short distances by wind

Tolerances
Is found mostly in drier areas.

This page last updated on 25 Mar 2010