Weeping Love-grass - native (Eragrostis parviflora)

Native. Annual or perennial. C4.

Family. Poaceae (Grass family).

Usually grows in damp areas e.g. near creeks or wetlands.

Identification

• an erect grass
• the flower sprays become very open and diffuse
• the glumes are shorter than the lemmas
• the spikelets are very narrow, many-flowered, coloured dark grey-green, and held close to the stems
• the spikelets appear to be pressed against the branches
• the lower flower branches are whorled (i.e. ringed, several growing from the one point)
• the lemmas are unawned
• the leaves are folded or inrolled
• the ligule is 0.3-0.6mm long and fringed.

It differs from African Love-grass in that the lower branches of the flower clusters of African Love-grass are not in whorls, and its spikelets are not pressed to the branch arms and the tussocks are much longer and denser.

eros: love; agrostis: grass, referring to the delicate flower clusters of some species; parviflora: has small flowers.