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
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