Lovely local Lovegrasses

It's that time of the year when one's thoughts turn to Lovegrass. And what a lovely lot of lovegrasses we have locally - some are important agricultural hay or grazing forages, others key indicators of the condition of natural grassland (veld), while many are just simply breathtaking.

Here are some Lovegrasses, mainly from the Eragrostis genus, found in southern Africa (some exported to other countries), along with their agricultural / ecological significance (from: Guide to Grasses of southern Africa. van Oudtshoorn, 2012, Briza Press).

Weeping, Tough, Sticky, Dew, Woolly, Superb - their very names speak of the wonders, the mysteries, the heart-worthy travails of love.

Eragrostis capensis - Heart-seed Lovegrass

Small to medium palatable grass. Ornamental.
 

Eragrostis superba- Saw-tooth Lovegrass

Small to medium palatable grass on disturbed soil.

Eragrostis ciliaris - Woolly Lovegrass

Small to medium grass on disturbed soil. Weed in gardens and cultivated lands.

  

Eragrostis nindensis - Wether Lovegrass

Short, palatable grass on disturbed soil. Resurrects after rain.

Eragrostis racemosa - Narrow Heart Lovegrass

 Small, palatable grass on shallow soil.

Eragrostis plana - Tough Lovegrass

Medium, generally unpalatable grass on disturbed areas and trampled soil. Used for crafts.

Eragrostis viscosa - Stickly Lovegrass

 Small, unpalatable grass, on disturbed soil and roadsides. 

 

Eragrostis gummiflua - Gum Lovegrass

Medium, unpalatable grass on damp soil. Stickly glands on leaf sheaths.

Eragrostis curvula - Weeping Lovegrass

Medium to tall palatable, productive hay and grazing grass.

Eragrostis inamoena – Tite Lovegrass

 Medium grass in wet areas. Stabilises soil in drainage areas.

Eragrostis bicolor - Vlei Lovegrass

 Small, palatable grass growing in water, moist soils and pans.

Eragrostis obtusa - Dew Lovegrass

 Small grass on disturbed soil. Indicator of past overgrazing.

Eragrostis cilianensis – Stink Lovegrass

Small, unpalatable, odorous grass on disturbed soils and in gardens.

And these are not Eragrostis species but certainly belong here.

Briza maxima - Large Quaking Grass

Small, sparse annual grass in disturbed areas and gardens. Ornamental. 

Briza minor - Little Quaking Grass

 Small annual grass on damp, disturbed soil.