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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: monticola = "mountain dweller" [Latin] refering to the habitat
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: endemic
Map
Inflorescence
Plant
Spikelets
Description
Perennials; culms in dense tufts, slender, erect or spreading, 10-30 cm tall. Leaves primarily toward base of culms; sheaths glabrous, pilose at throat; ligule a fringe of hairs ca. 0.2 mm long; blades 5-15 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, usually involute, upper surface scabrous, lower surface glabrous, apex attenuate to a slender point. Inflorescences paniculate, erect, narrow and spike-like, often somewhat interrupted, 5-15 cm long, usually less than 1 cm wide, the branches short and appressed, the lower ones 1-2 cm long; spikelets usually 6-8-flowered, ca. 5 mm long, rachilla glabrous; glumes 2-3 mm long, apex acuminate, first glume often longer than first lemma; lemmas imbricate, scarcely exposing rachilla, ca. 2 mm long, glabrous, apex obtuse; palea nearly as long as glumes, keel scabrous. Caryopsis reddish brown, ovoid to oblong, 0.7-1 mm long, surface punctate-striate.
(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 )