| Synonyms: |
Eragrostis buchananii Gand. Eragrostis quintasii Gand. |
| Common names: | Large plume eragrostis (English) Rough love grass (English) |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
Caespitose annual; culms up to 50(100) cm tall, usually erect, unbranched or rarely branched, glabrous at the nodes, eglandular; leaf sheaths gland-dotted on the nerves (especially on the midnerve); ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 5–20(30) cm × 2–4(6) mm, linear, flat, glabrous, gland-dotted on the nerves beneath.Panicle 11–30(70) cm long, ovate-elliptic, very effuse, the spikelets evenly distributed on long fine pedicels 5–25 mm long, the primary branches ascending at 45°, pseudowhorled or not, terminating in a fertile spikelet, bearded in the axils, eglandular.Spikelets 3–10 × 1–1.5(1.8) mm, oblong to linear, lightly laterally compressed, 4–22-flowered, the florets disarticulating from the apex downwards, the rhachilla fragile; glumes subequal, (0.7)1–1.5 mm long, the inferior reaching to about the middle of the adjacent lemma, the superior relatively shorter, lightly keeled, narrowly ovate to narrowly elliptic-oblong in profile, scabrid on the keel, obtuse to subacute at the apex; lemmas (1.2)1.4–1.8 mm long, lightly keeled, narrowly elliptic-oblong in profile, membranous with distinct lateral nerves, scarcely diverging from the rhachilla, those in opposite rows imbricate and concealing the rhachilla, pallid or often tinged with purple, smooth and glabrous, obtuse to truncate at the apex; palea glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, wingless, scabrid; anthers 3, 0.2–0.6 mm long.Caryopsis c. 0.5 mm across, subrotund. |
| Type location: |
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| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | aspera: rough |
| Habitat: | A widespread weed of cultivated and disturbed places, in sandveld, short grassland and dambo margins, in Kalahari Sands, rocky hillsides, and in moist sandy depressions |
| Altitude range: (metres) | 180 - 1680 m |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | tropical and South Africa through Arabia to southern India and the Mascarene Islands |
| FZ divisions: | N,SE |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 24. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 15. Cope, T.A. (1999). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(2) Pages 94 - 96. (Includes a picture). Heath, A. & Heath, R. (2009). Field Guide to the Plants of Northern Botswana including the Okavango Delta Kew Publishing Page 468. (Includes a picture). Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 38. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 103. Poilecot, P. (2007). Eragrostis species of Zimbabwe Éditions Quae,Versailles, France Pages 108 - 109. (Includes a picture). Roodt, V. (2015). Grasses & Grazers of Botswana and the surrounding savanna Struik Nature, South Africa Pages 102 - 103. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 136. Timberlake, J.R. & Childes, S.L. (2004). Biodiversity of the Four Corners Area: Technical Reviews Volume Two (Chapter 5-15) Appendix 5-1: Plant Checklist Occasional Publications in Biodiversity 15 Page 189. |