HOW TO KNOW THE GRASSES 



34b. Panicle 3 times as long as wide; never over 12 cm. wide; culti- 

 vated and sometimes escaping. Fig. 69. 



WEEPING LOVEGRASS 



Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees 



Figure 69 



Perennial; tufted; 60—120 cm. tall, form- 

 ing large round clumps. The leaves are 

 long, drawn out to very fine drooping tips. 

 The panicles are elongated and somewhat 

 drooping; branches not bearing spikelets 

 near the bases; spikelets dull straw colored 

 or leaden gray. Native to South Africa, 

 weeping lovegrass was first brought to the 

 United States as an ornamental, but is now 

 widely planted in the southern states as a 

 forage grass for revegetating abandoned 

 or eroded crop land. It makes excellent 

 pasturage and can be used for hay. The 

 seeds are about 1 mm. long, smooth, amber 

 colored except for the blackish germ. Sum- 

 mer. 



Eragrostis trichodes (Fig. 67) sometimes has hairy sheaths and may 

 key out here. It may be recognized by the long-pedicellate, usually 

 bronzy or yellowish spikelets. 



35a. Lemmas 2.0 — 2.4 mm. long; larger leaf blades 5 — 10 mm. wide. 

 Fig. 70. 



Eragrostis hirsuta (Michx.) Nees 



Perennial; tufted; plants be- 

 coming a meter or more tall; 

 panicles large, open, cylindri- 

 cal, half the height of the plant. 

 The leaves are wider than in 

 most other species of this genus 

 and taper to long fine points. 

 The summits of the leaf sheaths 

 (see figure) vary from extreme- 

 ly hairy to glabrous. Dry soil, 

 in open woods and fields. Sum- 

 mer. 



Figure 70 



38 



