Eragrostis lehmanniana
Eragrostis scaligera
Lehmann lovegrass, Lehmann's love grass
tender lovegrass
(20)40-80 cm, erect, commonly geniculate, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes, glabrous, lower portions sometimes scabridulous.
25-75 cm, erect, glabrous below the nodes.
sometimes shortly silky pilose basally, hairs less than 2 mm, apices sparsely hairy, hairs to 3 mm;
ligules 0.3-0.5 mm, ciliate;
blades 2-12 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, flat to involute, glabrous, abaxial surfaces sometimes scabridulous, adaxial surfaces scabridulous.
glabrous or with hairy apices, hairs to 4 mm;
ligules 0.1-0.3 mm, ciliate;
blades 4-8(18) cm long, 1-2 mm wide, involute, frequently deciduous, adaxial surfaces mostly glabrous, sometimes pilose near the base.
7-18 cm long, 2-8 cm wide, oblong, open;
primary branches 1-8 cm, appressed or diverging to 40° from the rachises;
pulvini glabrous;
pedicels 0.5-4 mm, diverging or appressed, flexible.
terminal and axillary;
terminal panicles 5-15 cm long, (1)2-10(12) cm wide, narrowly ovate, open;
axillary panicles 2-5 cm long, 0.3-0.6 cm wide, usually contracted and partially to completely enclosed by the subtending sheath;
primary branches 1-10 cm, appressed or diverging up to 90° from the rachises, wiry;
pulvini glabrous or hairy;
pedicels 0.3-5 mm, appressed, flattened.
5-12(14) mm long, 0.8-1.2 mm wide, linear-lanceolate, plumbeous to stramineous, with 4-12(14) florets;
disarticulation irregular to basipetal, paleas usually persistent.
6-15(27) mm long, 1.6-2.4 mm wide, ovate-lanceolate, plumbeous to greenish, often with a reddish-purple tinge, with 10-35(45) florets;
disarticulation acropetal, glumes first, then the lemmas, paleas persistent.
oblong to lanceolate, membranous;
lower glumes 1-1.5 mm;
upper glumes 1.3-2 mm;
lemmas 1.5-1.7 mm, ovate, membranous, lateral veins inconspicuous, apices acute to obtuse;
paleas 1.4-1.7 mm, obtuse;
anthers 3, 0.6-0.9 mm, yellowish.
lanceolate to ovate, membranous;
lower glumes 1.4-2.1 mm;
upper glumes 1.6-2.2 mm;
lemmas (1.7)2-2.5 mm, broadly ovate, leathery, apices acute to acuminate;
paleas 1.1-1.7 mm, hyaline, apices obtuse to truncate;
anthers 2, 0.3-0.7 mm, reddish-purple.
0.6-0.8 mm, ellipsoid to obovoid, dorsally compressed, sometimes with a shallow adaxial groove, smooth, translucent, mostly light brown, embryo region dark brown with a greenish ring.
0.5-0.6 mm, globose, not grooved, smooth, light reddish-brown.
= 40, 60.
= 40.
Eragrostis lehmanniana
Eragrostis scaligera
Eragrostis lehmanniana is native to southern Africa, where it grows in sandy, savannah habitats. It was introduced for erosion control in the southern United States, where it often displaces native species. In the Flora region, it grows in sandy flats, along roadsides, on calcareous slopes, and in disturbed areas, at 200-1830 m. It is commonly found in association with Larrea tridentata, Opuntia, Quercus, Juniperus, and Bouteloua gracilis.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Eragrostis scaligera is known from Lee and Collier counties, Florida, where it grows in sandy areas in the coastal scrub zone and along adjacent roadsides, at 0-10 m. It is native to French Guiana and Brazil.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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