Eragrostis lehmanniana

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Eragrostis lehmanniana
Eragrostis lehmanniana.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Eragrostis
Species:
E. lehmanniana
Binomial name
Eragrostis lehmanniana

Eragrostis lehmanniana is a species of grass known by the common name Lehmann lovegrass. It is native to southern Africa. It is present elsewhere as an introduced species. It is well known as an invasive weed in some areas, such as Arizona in the United States. [1]

This grass produces loose, open clumps of stems up to 61 to 80 centimetres (2.00 to 2.62 ft) long, [1] [2] with some stems growing erect and some lying across the ground and rooting where nodes come in contact with the substrate. The leaves are up to 15 centimetres (5.9 in) long. [1] The inflorescence is a panicle up to 18 centimetres (7.1 in) long by 8 centimetres (3.1 in) wide, with branches appressed to the stems or held out at an angle. The spikelets are up to 1.4 cm (0.55 in) long and contain up to 14 flowers each. [2] The grass may spread via stolons. [1]

In its native African range this grass is common in several habitat types such as Acacia woodland and Kalahari grasslands and savanna. [3] It has been introduced to North and South America. [4] In 1930 the grass was introduced to Arizona in the United States to replace the native grasses that had been severely overgrazed by livestock. In the 1940s the grass was spreading and could be found growing in areas where it had not been planted. [5] By 1980 the grass had been sown on over 100,000 acres but it failed to take hold in many regions, such as parts of Texas and New Mexico. In the desert grasslands and shrublands of southeastern Arizona, however, it did well, growing best in areas with sandy soils, rare freezes, and summer rainfall totals of about 15 to 22 cm (5.9 to 8.7 in). Much beyond these parameters it does not spread or fails to survive. In 1988 it was a major species on 347,000 acres of Arizona desert. [1] In parts of the region, the native ecosystem has been replaced by velvet mesquite woodland with an understory dominated by Lehmann lovegrass. [6] This species sometimes hybridizes with Eragrostis curvula ("weeping lovegrass"). [7]

The grass produces large monotypic stands that crowd out native grasses and reduce plant and animal diversity. [8] It forms a soil seed bank that can withstand long dry periods, giving it an advantage over some native grasses. [9] It has been shown to have a negative impact on other types of plants, such as Agave palmeri , a key component in the local ecosystem. [10]

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<i>Bromus tectorum</i> Species of grass

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<i>Brachypodium sylvaticum</i> Species of grass

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<i>Cenchrus ciliaris</i> Species of grass

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Botteris sparrow

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<i>Lolium perenne</i> Species of plant

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<i>Elymus elymoides</i>

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<i>Eragrostis cilianensis</i> Species of grass

Eragrostis cilianensis is a species of grass known by several common names, including stinkgrass, candy grass, and gray lovegrass.

<i>Eragrostis pectinacea</i> Species of plant

Eragrostis pectinacea is a species of grass known by the common name tufted lovegrass. This plant is native to the Americas from Canada to Argentina. It is widespread, growing in most open spaces at varying elevations and habitats, including in disturbed areas and roadsides.

<i>Dichrostachys cinerea</i>

Dichrostachys cinerea, known as sicklebush, Bell mimosa, Chinese lantern tree or Kalahari Christmas tree, is a legume of the genus Dichrostachys in the family Fabaceae.

<i>Eragrostis dielsii</i> Species of plant

Eragrostis dielsii, commonly known as mallee lovegrass, is a species of grass endemic to Australia.

Digitaria californica is a species of grass known by the common name Arizona cottontop. It is native to the Americas, where it can be found in the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America.

<i>Elymus lanceolatus</i> Species of grass

Elymus lanceolatus is a species of grass known by the common names thickspike wheatgrass and streamside wheatgrass. It is native to North America, where it is widespread and abundant in much of Canada and the western and central United States. There are two subspecies, ssp. lanceolatus occurring throughout the species' range and ssp. psammophilus occurring in the Great Lakes region. Elymus lanceolatus is a perennial, low growing, rhizomatous grass that actively grows in summer and spring. This plant is native to semiarid regions of the United States.Elymus lanceolatus is polymorphic, capable of growing in high altitude regions of the Rocky Mountains or at sea level near the Great Lakes in the United States. The bloom period for E. lanceolatus is mid-spring, and it is available commercially. Elymus lanceolatus is characterized by its yellow flowers, green or grey leaves, and brown seeds. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), it has a moderate harvest regrowth rate. Wheatgrass is unique in that in can adapt to fine, medium, and coarsely textured soils in the environment. However, it is shade intolerant, has a medium fertility requirement, and has a medium salinity tolerance. Studies suggest that amounts of soil needed for wheatgrass harvest can be approximated by understanding the plant’s water depletion rate and rainfall amount in the region, which consequently helps reduce drainage.

<i>Eragrostis curvula</i> Species of plant

Eragrostis curvula is a species of grass known by the common name weeping lovegrass. Other common names include Boer lovegrass, curved lovegrass, Catalina lovegrass, and African lovegrass.

<i>Eragrostis intermedia</i> Species of grass

Eragrostis intermedia is a species of grass known by the common name plains lovegrass. It is native to North and Central America, where it is distributed from the southeastern and southwestern United States south to Costa Rica. Its range may extend to South America.

<i>Eragrostis variabilis</i>

Eragrostis variabilis is a species of grass known by the common names variable lovegrass, kawelu, emoloa, and kalamalo. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it occurs on all the main islands plus Kure Atoll, Midway Atoll, Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Lisianski Island, Laysan, and Nihoa.

Sporobolus wrightii is a species of grass known by the common names big sacaton and giant sacaton. It is native to the western United States and northern and central Mexico.

<i>Bothriochloa pertusa</i> Species of plant

Bothriochloa pertusa is a species of grass. It is widely used as a fodder and a graze for livestock.

<i>Eragrostis pilosa</i> Species of plant

Eragrostis pilosa is a species of grass. It is native to Eurasia and Africa. It may or may not be native to North America. It is widely introduced, and it is a common weed in many areas.

<i>Eragrostis echinochloidea</i> Species of plant

Eragrostis echinochloidea, is a species of grass native to South Africa. Listed as "safe" (LC) on the SANBI Red List, the plant can also be found in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Uchytil, Ronald J. (1992). Eragrostis lehmanniana. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Retrieved 12-22-2011.
  2. 1 2 Eragrostis lehmanniana. Archived 2012-06-13 at the Wayback Machine Grass Manual Treatment. Retrieved 12-22-2011.
  3. Skarpe, C. (1986). Plant community structure in relation to grazing and environmental changes along a north-south transect in the western Kalahari. Plant Ecology68(1) 3-18. Retrieved 12-22-2011.
  4. "Eragrostis lehmanniana". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  5. Cox, J. R. (1992). Lehmann lovegrass live component biomass and chemical composition. Journal of Range Management45(6) 523-27. Retrieved 12-22-2011.
  6. Biedenbender, S. H. and B. A. Roundy. (1996). Establishment of native semidesert grasses into existing stands of Eragrostis lehmanniana in southeastern Arizona. Restoration Ecology4(2) 155-62. Retrieved 12-22-2011.
  7. Halvorson, W. L. and P. Guertin. (2003). USGS Weeds in the West project: Status of Introduced Plants in Southern Arizona Parks. Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine page 8. USGS. Retrieved 12-22-2011.
  8. Moran, M. S., et al. Soil evaporative response to Lehmann Lovegrass Eragrostis lehmanniana invasion in a semiarid watershed. The Third Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds, 8–11 September 2008, Estes Park, CO. Retrieved 12-22-2011.
  9. Abbott, L. B. and B. A. Roundy. (2003). Available water influences field germination and recruitment of seeded grasses. Journal of Range Management56(1) 56-64. Retrieved 12-22-2011.
  10. Lindsay, D. L. Effects of invasives on the distribution of keystone desert plants on military lands. US Department of Defense Legacy Program. Retrieved 12-22-2011.

Further reading