Eragrostis brownii (Kunth) Nees

synonyms: Eragrostis cumingii [misapplied in Hawai'i]


Brown's lovegrass, sheepgrass


Info

Subfamily: Chloridoideae
Genus etymology: Eragrostis = "love grass" [Greek] unclear origin, other etymologies such as "early grass" or "very grass" have also been speculated
Species etymology: brownii = honorific for Robert Brown [1773-1858]
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: naturalized - intentional
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 1916

Map

 Distribution of Eragrostis brownii in Hawaiʻi.
 Distribution of Eragrostis brownii in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Eragrostis brownii Inflorescence
Eragrostis brownii Inflorescence
Eragrostis brownii Inflorescence
Eragrostis brownii Inflorescence
Eragrostis brownii Inflorescence
Eragrostis brownii Inflorescence
Eragrostis brownii Inflorescence
Eragrostis brownii Inflorescence

Plant

Eragrostis brownii Plant
Eragrostis brownii Plant

Habit

Eragrostis brownii Habit

Spikelets

Eragrostis brownii Spikelets
Eragrostis brownii Spikelets
Eragrostis brownii Spikelets
Eragrostis brownii Spikelets
Eragrostis brownii Spikelets
Eragrostis brownii Spikelets
Eragrostis brownii Spikelets
Eragrostis brownii Spikelets
Eragrostis brownii Spikelets
Eragrostis brownii Spikelets
Eragrostis brownii Spikelets
Eragrostis brownii Spikelets

Description

Habit: Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15-50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths 3-4 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades 10-25 cm long; 1-3 mm wide. Inflorescences: Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 5-15 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1 -nate; 2-7 cm long. Panicle branches stiff; scaberulous. Spikelets ascending, or spreading; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-2 mm long. Spikelets: Spikelets comprising 10-15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4-5.5 mm long; 1.6-2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above, or becoming fragile after lemmas shed; with the distal florets disarticulating separately. Fertile Spikelets: Spikelets comprising 10-15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4-5.5 mm long; 1.6-2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above, or becoming fragile after lemmas shed; with the distal florets disarticulating separately. Glumes: Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1-1.7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.5-1.7 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate. Florets: Fertile lemma ovate; 1.7-2 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped. Fruits: Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 0.7 mm long; red. Distribution: Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central.
(Description source: Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. Available at https://powo.science.kew.org )

Perennials; culms tufted, decumbent to prostrate, sometimes erect, 1.5-5(-8) dm tall. Leaves primarily crowded toward base of culms; sheaths 3-4 cm long, pilose at throat, otherwise glabrous, margins membranous; ligule ciliate, ca. 0.2 mm long; blades flat, 10-25 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, glabrous. Inflorescences paniculate, 5-15 cm long, branches widely spaced, ascending to spreading, usually with 1 branch per node, branches 2-7 cm long, axils glabrous, the main axis and branches scabrous; spikelets 10-15-flowered, widely spaced, appressed, compressed, 4-5.5(-7) mm long, 1.6-2 mm wide, pedicels up to 1 mm long, rachilla disarticulating; glumes subequal, (1-)1.5-1.7 mm long, 1/2 the length of the lowest pair of florets, glabrous, margins hyaline, apex acute; lemmas closely imbricate, 1.7-2 mm long, ca. 0.7 mm wide, 3- nerved, glabrous, apex acute; palea slightly shorter than lemma, persistent, keel scaberulous. Caryopsis dark red, ovate, ca. 0.7 mm long. [2n = 40.]
(Description source: O’Connor, P.J. 1990. Poaceae, pp. 1481–1604. In: Wagner W.L., Herbst D.R. & Sohmer S.H. (eds.)., Manual of the flowering plant of Hawaiʻi. Vol. 2. University of Hawaii Press & Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu )