Eragrostis frankii
Eragrostis capillaris
sandbar lovegrass, éragrostide de Frank
lace grass, lace lovegrass
10-50 cm, erect to geniculate, glabrous, often with glandular pits below the nodes.
(15)20-50(60) cm, erect, glabrous, often shiny below the nodes.
mostly glabrous, apices hirsute, hairs to 4 mm, often also with glandular pits;
ligules 0.2-0.5 mm, ciliate;
blades (2)4-10(21) cm long, 1-4 mm wide, flat to involute, glabrous abaxially, scabridu-lous adaxially.
pilose along the margins, apices hirsute, hairs to 7 mm;
ligules 0.2-0.5 mm, ciliate;
blades (6)8-20(30) cm long, (1)2-5 mm wide, flat, abaxial surfaces smooth, glabrous, adaxial surfaces scabridulous, with long scattered hairs.
4-20 cm long, less than 1/2 the height of the plants, 2-10(14) cm wide, narrowly elliptic, open;
primary branches 2-6 cm, compact, diverging 20-70° from the rachises, capillary, sometimes with glandular pits, naked basally;
pulvini glabrous;
pedicels 1.5-5 mm, divergent.
(10)15-45(55) cm long, (7)10-25 cm wide, to 2/3 the height of the plants, elliptic to ovate, open, rachises without glandular pits;
primary branches (2)5-15 cm, diverging 20-90° from the rachises, capillary, naked basally;
pulvini glabrous;
pedicels (4)5-25 mm, divergent, scabridulous.
(1.7)2-4(5.6) mm long, 1-2(2.5) mm wide, broadly ovate to lanceolate, plumbeous to reddish-purple, with 3-6 florets;
disarticulation acropetal, paleas persistent.
(1.4)2-5 mm long, 1-1.3(1.4) mm wide, ovate to lanceolate, plumbeous, occasionally reddish-purple, with 2-5(7) florets;
disarticulation acropetal, paleas persistent.
narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, hyaline;
lower glumes 1-1.5 mm;
upper glumes 1-1.8 mm;
lemmas 1.1-1.6 mm, broadly ovate, membranous, lateral veins inconspicuous, apices acute;
paleas 1-1.5 mm, hyaline, keels scabridulous, apices obtuse;
anthers 2 or 3, 0.2-0.3 mm, purplish.
narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, hyaline;
lower glumes 1-1.2 mm, narrower than the upper glumes;
upper glumes 1.2-1.4 mm;
lemmas 1.2-1.7 mm, broadly ovate, membranous, keels scabridulous, lateral veins inconspicuous, apices acute;
paleas 1.2-1.6 mm, hyaline, keels almost smooth to scabrous, scabridities to 0.1 mm, apices acute to obtuse;
anthers 3, 0.2-0.3 mm, reddish-brown.
0.4-0.7 mm, ovoid to rectangular-prismatic, striate, reddish-brown, adaxial surfaces flat or shallowly grooved, distal 2/3 opaque.
0.4-0.7 mm, ovoid to rectangular-prismatic, adaxial surfaces deeply grooved, striate, bases reddish-brown, distal 2/3 opaque.
= 40, 80.
= 50, 100.
Eragrostis frankii
Eragrostis capillaris
Eragrostis frankii is native in the central and eastern United States, but it has been found, as an introduction, in southern Ontario, and appears to be increasingly common in the northeastern United States. It grows in moist meadows, along streams and sand bars, in forest openings, and along roadsides, at 5-1500 m, usually in association with Pinus, Quercus, Acer, and Fagus grandiflora. The record from Santa Fe County, New Mexico, is based on a specimen collected by Fendler in 1847; there are no other collections from the state. Fendler's specimens seem to represent either an accidental introduction that did not become established or a labeling error.
Eragrostis frankii is similar to E. capillaris, but differs in its frequent possession of glandular pits, its flat or more shallowly grooved caryopses, shorter pedicels, and glabrous sheath margins, and in having panicles that are usually less than half as long as the culms.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Eragrostis capillaris is native to the eastern portion of the Flora region. It grows in open, dry, sandy river-banks, floodplains, rocky roadsides, and gravel pits, at 150-1500 m, usually in association with Pinus, Quercus, Carrya, and Liquidambar styraciflua. Its range extends into northeastern Mexico.
Eragrostis capillaris resembles E. frankii, but differs in its lack of glandular pits, deeply grooved caryopses, longer pedicels, pilose sheath margins, and larger panicles. The two species are sympatric over much of the eastern United States.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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