Eragrostis pilosa

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Photographs by: Dr. Maulik Gadani

Botanical Name : Eragrostis pilosa (L.) P.Beauv.
Eragrostis is derived from the Greek eros meaning love, and agrostis, grass, in allusion to the loose dancing spikelets.
Synonyms : Poa pilosa L., Poa punctata L.
Common Name : Nani Fulkani, Hairy Love Grass, Indian Love Grass
Plant Family : Poaceae (Gramineae)
According to the Rules of ICBN the names of the families should end in -aceae. Thus the new name for the family Gramineae became Poaceae. However, the name Gramineae is also exempted and conserved under 'NominaConservanda' because of their constant use for a long time.
Plant Form : Grasses
Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park

Habit : An annual grass with stem 15-60 cm high, tufted, erect or geniculately ascending, slender, flaccid.
Leaves : Usually short and narrow, generally convolute, sheaths appressed, glabrous bearded at the mouth, ligule a pyramidal, open or contracted, rachis glabrous or hairy, filiform, branches fascicled or whorled, capillary, much divided.
Inflorescence : Spikelets scattered, linear, 5-12 flowered, often purplish, pedicels longer or shorter than the spikelets, rachilla tough, smooth, flexuous.
Flowers : Glumes all hyaline, involucral glumes very unequal, lower ovate, nerveless, upper much larger, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 1-nerved; floral glumes 0.15-0.25 cm long, paleasubpersistent, the keels scanberulous or nearly smooth.
Fruits : Grain ellipsoid, 0.13-0.16 cm long, laterally apiculate at the base.
Flowering and Fruiting Time : October
Significance : It is grazed by cattle, particularly buffaloes.