Eragrostis

Taxobox
name = Lovegrass

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Eragrostis paupera"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Liliopsida
unranked_ordo = Commelinids
ordo = Poales
familia = Poaceae
subfamilia = Chloridoideae
tribus = Eragrostideae
genus = "Eragrostis"
genus_authority = Host
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = Numerous, see text

Lovegrass is the genus "Eragrostis" of the Poaceae (grass family). Being the namesake genus of the tribe Eragrostideae, it would remain therein if this group remains valid after revision of the Chloridoideae.

They are dispersed by passing animals; its seeds' hooks latch on to fur or hair, or to clothes. Lepidoptera whose caterpillars feed on "Eragrostis" include the Zabulon Skipper, "Poanes zabulon".

Lovegrasses are little utilized by humans. They can be used as livestock fodder. The seeds appear to be of extremely high nutritional value at least in some species, but they are also extremely tiny and collecting them for food is cumbersome and not usually done. A notable exception is teff, used to make most of the traditional breads of the Horn of Africa: Ethiopian "injera" and Somalian "laxoox", and grown as a crop of commercial importance. "E. clelandii" and "E. tremula" are recorded as famine foods in Australia and Chad, respectively [Freedman (1998)] . Other species, like "E. tenella", are used as ornamental plants.

elected species

* "Eragrostis abyssinica" var. "teff" – Red Teff
* "Eragrostis airoides"
* "Eragrostis amabilis"
* "Eragrostis atropioides"
* "Eragrostis atrovirens"
* "Eragrostis bahiensis" – Bahia Lovegrass
* "Eragrostis barrelieri"
* "Eragrostis brownii"
* "Eragrostis capillaris" – Tiny Lovegrass, Lace Grass
* "Eragrostis cilianensis" – Stink-grass
* "Eragrostis ciliaris"
* "Eragrostis clelandii"
* "Eragrostis condensata"
* "Eragrostis cumingii"
* "Eragrostis curtipedicellata"
* "Eragrostis curvula" – Weeping Lovegrass, African Lovegrass,
** "Eragrostis curvula" var. "conferta" – Boer Lovegrass
* "Eragrostis concinna"
* "Eragrostis cylindriflora"
* "Eragrostis deflexa"
* "Eragrostis diversiflora"
* "Eragrostis echinochloa"
* "Eragrostis echinochloidea"
* "Eragrostis elliottii"
* "Eragrostis elongata"
* "Eragrostis erosa"
* "Eragrostis ferruginea"
* "Eragrostis fosbergii"
* "Eragrostis frankii" – Frank's Lovegrass
* "Eragrostis gangetica"
* "Eragrostis glutinosa"
* "Eragrostis grandis"
* "Eragrostis hirsuta"
* "Eragrostis hosakae"
* "Eragrostis hypnoides" – Teal Lovegrass
* "Eragrostis intermedia"
* "Eragrostis japonica"
* "Eragrostis lacunaria"
* "Eragrostis × lehmanniana" – Lehmann Lovegrass
* "Eragrostis leptophylla"
* "Eragrostis leptostachya" – Paddock Lovegrass
* "Eragrostis lugens"
* "Eragrostis lutescens"
* "Eragrostis mauiensis"
* "Eragrostis megalosperma"
* "Eragrostis mexicana"
* "Eragrostis minor" – Little Lovegrass, Small Lovegrass
* "Eragrostis monticola"
* "Eragrostis obtusiflora"
* "Eragrostis palmeri"
* "Eragrostis parviflora"
* "Eragrostis paupera" - Dwarf Eragrostis
* "Eragrostis pectinacea"
* "Eragrostis pilosa"
* "Eragrostis plana"
* "Eragrostis prolifera"
* "Eragrostis pubescens"
* "Eragrostis refracta"
* "Eragrostis saxatilis"
* "Eragrostis scaligera"
* "Eragrostis secundiflora"
* "Eragrostis sessilispica"
* "Eragrostis setifolia"
* "Eragrostis silveana"
* "Eragrostis spectabilis" – Purple Lovegrass
* "Eragrostis spicata"
* "Eragrostis stenostachya"
* "Eragrostis suaveolens"
* "Eragrostis superba"
* "Eragrostis swallenii"
* "Eragrostis tef" – teff
* "Eragrostis tenella"
* "Eragrostis tenuifolia"
* "Eragrostis tremula"
* "Eragrostis trichocolea"
* "Eragrostis trichodes" – Sand Lovegrass
* "Eragrostis trichophora"
* "Eragrostis unioloides"
* "Eragrostis urbaniana"
* "Eragrostis variablis"
* "Eragrostis viscosa"

Footnotes

References

*
* (1998): [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/FamineFoods/ff_families/POACEAE.html Famine Foods - Poaceae or Graminae] . Version of 1998-MAR-06. Retrieved 2007-NOV-12.

External links

* [http://utc.usu.edu/keys/Eragrostis/Eragrostis.html Interactive Key to Eragrostis of North America]