Common name: African Lovegrass
Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees APNI* 
Description: Tufted perennial to c. 1 m high.
Leaves with orifice often with hairs to 4 mm long; ligule a ciliate rim with hairs to 0.5 mm long; blade flat or rolled, to 3 mm wide, glabrous or with hairs to 1 mm long.
Inflorescence open or contracted, 13–30 cm long, 2.5–10 mm wide; axils of primary branches glabrous or with hairs 0.5–3 mm long; pedicels 0.5–4 mm long. Spikelets 4–10 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, florets 4–14; rachilla with hairs < 0.25 mm long. Glumes 1.5–2.5 mm long, acute, glabrous; lower glume often narrower and 75% length of upper. Lemmas 2–2.5 mm long, acute, usually scabrous, keeled, lateral nerve closer to margins than midnerve. Palea subequal to lemma.
Flowering: summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in sandy or gravelly soil, on roadsides, watercourses and pastures. Native of Afr.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, ?SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *NWP, *SWP, *NFWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *Tas. *W.A. S.A.
Valued for animal production and soil conservation or regarded as a weed, depending on the agronomic type, management practices and environmental conditions. See also NSW WeedWise profile.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & K. L. McClay; edited by P. Lu-Irving (Oct 2024)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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