Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees
Family: Poaceae, Tribe: Eragrostideae
Pertinent Synonyms & Notes (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other synonyms)
Eragrostis chloromelas Steud.
Pertinent Common Names (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other common names)
weeping lovegrass
Primary Disseminule Type
floret (with rachilla), caryopsis alone or ± sheathed by lemma
Description (diagnostics are in brown)
Spikelets solitary, pedicelled (pedicels 0.5–5 mm long), consisting of 4–10(13) fertile florets with similar-looking though diminished sterile florets at apex, linear-lanceolate, laterally compressed, 4–8.2(10) mm long x 1–1.2(1.5) mm wide, yellowish to greenish. Disarticulation between fertile florets such that the disseminule is the floret (with palea and rachilla) or is the caryopsis ± sheathed by the lemma only.
Glumes deciduous, similar, lanceolate to ovate, shorter than spikelet, hyaline, keeled (eglandular), 1-veined, apices acute. Lower glume 1–1.8(2.6) mm long (0.6–0.8 length of upper glume). Upper glume (1.5)2–3 mm long (0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma).
Lemma ovate to elliptic-oblong, 1.8–3 mm long, membranous to hyaline, surface scabrous, barely keeled, 3(5)-veined, midvein eglandular, lateral veins distinct (relatively opaque, ribbed), apex acute to obtuse.
Palea 1.8–3 mm long, hyaline to membranous, 2-veined, keels smooth or scaberulous, apex obtuse.
Caryopsis narrowly ellipsoid to narrowly ovoid (outline oblong to lanceolate), dorsally compressed, somewhat trigonous in cross-section, (0.7)1–1.7 mm long x 0.6–0.8 mm wide, light brown, ± translucent, surface smooth, shallowly longitudinally grooved to ungrooved on ventral side, embryo 0.4–0.6 length of caryopsis, darker than caryopsis, hilum ± round, dark.
Similar Species
Similar Species Comparison Chart
Risk Assessment (codes in yellow or red indicate cause for concern; assessments are current as of mid-2011; click AUQP, NZBORIC, or NZBPI for access to the most recent versions of these databases and possible assessment changes)
AUQP, AUWP, NZWP, NZBORIC, NZBPI