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Eragrostis leptophylla

Hitchc. (1922)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Poales Family: Poaceae Genus: Eragrostis

lovegrass

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Perennials, densely tufted, 6–10 dm tall.

Stems: Culms erect, slender, glabrous.

Roots: Roots fibrous.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades slender, erect, involute, 10-25 cm long, 1-2 mm wide. Upper surfaces villous near base and scaberulous near apex; lower surfaces glabrous. Veins parallel. Sheaths longer than internodes, 5-10 cm long, pilose at throat and ciliate on margins, somewhat pubescent on collar, otherwise glabrous; ligule 0.2-0.5 mm long, ciliate. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Panicles slender, spikelike, usually dense, 15-30 cm long, 0.5-0.8 cm wide, the axis and pedicels scabrous or puberulent; spikelets 4-10-flowered, 4-9 mm long, rachilla sparsely pilose; glumes subequal, narrow, 3-5 mm long, as long as or longer than first floret, keel scaberulous toward apex, the apex attenuate, first glume 1-nerved, second glume 3-nerved. Lemmas imbricate, concealing rachilla, 2-3 mm long, faintly 3-nerved, keel minutely scaberulous toward apex, acute; palea 1.7-2 mm long, keels scaberulous, apex usually truncate and erose.

Fruit: Caryopsis dark red; narrowly ovoid; 0.7-1 mm long; finely rugose.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Occurring in exposed sites; often in sandy soil; grasslands; dry forest; subalpine forest; or subalpine shrubland.

Elevation Range: 360–2,140 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Endemic

Island Status

Lana'i Endemic
Kaho'olawe Endemic
Maui Endemic
Hawai'i Endemic

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Mem. Bernice Pauahi Bishop Mus. 8: 133 (1922)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1542 (L, M, H); Herbst & Clayton 1998:26, 27 (Ka, KEY); Faccenda 2022:66, 69 (KEY)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Eragrostis leptophylla Hualalai, near Hainoa Crater, North Kona District Growing in cinder substrate with Deschampsia australis, Agrostis sandwicensis, Trisetum glomeratum, and low shrubs of Styphelia and Vaccinium. Preserved_Specimen Bunchgrass about 2 ft tall. Cuddihy, L.W. 673 Hawaii BISH 1980-12-10
2 Eragrostis leptophylla plain between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa., W of Humuula Sheep Station sandy Preserved_Specimen large erect bunches Hitchcock, A.S. 14458 Hawaii BISH 1916-08-29
3 Eragrostis leptophylla E Maui, Makawao District, Kanaio NAR Occasional, in open areas of dry forest and shrubland. Vegetation: Diospyros, Pleomele, Nesoluma, Reynoldsia, Nothocestrum, Wikstroemia, Dodonaea, Chamaesyce, Cocculus, Lantana, Lepisorus, Myoporum, Osteomeles, Melinis, Pellaea, Cyperus, Bocconia, Ipomoea, Carex, Peperomia, Plectranthus, Doryopteris, Leptecophylla, Xylosma, Myrsine, Neonotonia, Petroselinum Preserved_Specimen Upright, clump forming grass Oppenheimer, H.L. 20905 Maui BISH 2009-02-03
4 Eragrostis leptophylla Kamuela, Heewai 2 padock, S. Kohala, Waikoloa Dry rocky pasture Preserved_Specimen rare Hosaka, E.Y. 3662 Hawaii BISH 1952-06-05
5 Eragrostis leptophylla Mauna Kea, S of Humuula Sheep Station grassy slope in moist woods Preserved_Specimen Hitchcock, A.S. 14447 Hawaii BISH 1916-08-27
6 Eragrostis leptophylla Makawao District, Aleale stack, near Puu Koae 50 degree northeast aspect Mixed Native Coastal Shrubland with Portulaca molokiniensis, P. villosa, Senna gaudichaudii, Chamaesyce celastroides var. amplectens, Mariscus phleoides subsp. phleoides, Capparis, Lipochaeta lavarum, Bidens mauiensis, Sida fallax, Doryopteris decipiens, Panicum torridum, P. fauriei var. latius, Heteropogon contortus, Eragrostis atropioides, Ipomoea tuboides Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 1923 Kahoolawe BISH 1992-05-17
7 Eragrostis leptophylla East Maui, S slope of Haleakala, Auwahi Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2102 Maui BISH 1920-03-24
8 Eragrostis leptophylla Along Saddle Road, Pohakuloa Training Area, between 30 and 45 mile markers, within 60 feet of the road. Preserved_Specimen Funk, E.J. 67 Hawaii BISH 1990-12-13
9 Eragrostis leptophylla Hualalai, near Hainoa Crater, North Knoa District Growing in cinder substrate with Deschampsia australis, Agrostis sandwicensis, Trisetum glomeratum, and low shrubs of Styphelia and Vaccinium. Preserved_Specimen Cuddihy, L.W. 673 Hawaii BISH 1980-12-10
10 Eragrostis leptophylla Kahuku In open dry grassy kipuka Preserved_Specimen Hosaka, E.Y. 1445 Hawaii BISH 1936-07-21
11 Eragrostis leptophylla Puu Kekee Flats Preserved_Specimen Goff, R.A. 38 Hawaii BISH 1928-07-14
12 Eragrostis leptophylla Puuwaawaa Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 43 Hawaii BISH 1911-06-08
13 Eragrostis leptophylla N Hilo, Humuula Preserved_Specimen Hosaka, E.Y. 2338 Hawaii BISH 1938-06-13
14 Eragrostis leptophylla Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Rémy, J. 92 Hawaii BISH 1851-01-01
15 Eragrostis leptophylla Miki Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 442 Lanai BISH 1929-08-12
16 Eragrostis leptophylla East Maui, S slope of Haleakala, near Auwahi above Pakiloi & Kamana Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2072 Maui BISH 1920-03-25
17 Eragrostis leptophylla Auhi, Ulupalakua Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 398 Maui BISH 1915-02-12
18 Eragrostis leptophylla Miki Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 817 Lanai BISH 1930-01-07
19 Eragrostis leptophylla Lahaina District, Papalaua Gulch, east fork. Vegetation: Metrosideros, Acacia, Diospyros, Leptecophylla, Wikistromea, Osteomeles, Pleomele, Pouteria, Euphorbia, Bidens, Eragrostis, Panicum, Morelotia, Cocculus, Trisetum, Pteridium, Asplenium, Erigeron, Senecio, Andropogon, Setaria. Preserved_Specimen Occasional, clump forming grass; culms decumbent to ascending. Oppenheimer, H.L. 101309 Maui BISH 2013-10-15
20 Eragrostis leptophylla Slope of Mauna Loa, near Bates' camp Preserved_Specimen Skottsberg, C.J.F. 512 Hawaii BISH 1922-09-15
21 Eragrostis leptophylla Pohakuloa Training Area (Kipuka Alala, Training Area 23). UTM 22176422 Northing, 216180 Easting Preserved_Specimen Questad, E. Hawaii BISH 2009-02-02
22 Eragrostis leptophylla W Maui, slopes of Helu Peak Dense clumps in weedy native shrubland. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 4249 Maui BISH 2006-01-27
23 Eragrostis leptophylla S end Heteropogon contortus, Prosopis pallida, Cenchrus ciliaris, Waltheria indica, Sida fallax, Argemone glauca Preserved_Specimen Wood, K.R. 8859 Kahoolawe BISH 2001-01-31
24 Eragrostis leptophylla Omaokoili, near Pohakuloa Preserved_Specimen Kosaka, E. 16 Hawaii BISH 1962-04-03
25 Eragrostis leptophylla Humuula Preserved_Specimen Usinger, R.L. 6 Hawaii BISH 1935-08-03
26 Eragrostis leptophylla Gulch S of Puu Nene remnant Dodonaea dry shrubland, eroded red clay near bottom Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 30815 Lanai BISH 2008-03-27
27 Eragrostis leptophylla Puu Waawaa, Hualalai in semi-closed dry rocky pasture Preserved_Specimen Occasional Hosaka, E.Y. 1614 Hawaii BISH 1936-09-17
28 Eragrostis leptophylla Mauka of McGregor More or less at edge of luxurious plateau or edge of bare clay gully slope Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 22045 Maui BISH 1952-03-09
29 Eragrostis leptophylla Mauna Kea, S of Humuula Sheep Station grassy slope in moist woods Preserved_Specimen Hitchcock, A.S. 14447 Hawaii BISH 1916-08-27
30 Eragrostis leptophylla Plain between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, west of Humuula Sheep Station Sandy soil Preserved_Specimen Large erect bunches Hitchcock, A.S. 14458 Hawaii BISH 1916-08-29
31 Eragrostis leptophylla Hamakua, 225 deg. magnetic line from base of Bravo trail, ~350 m from old burn area, ~1.0 km E of Old Bobcat trail pahoehoe; Styphelia tameiameiae, Dodonaea viscosa, Lythrum maritimum, Panicum Preserved_Specimen Close, B. 109411 Hawaii BISH 1994-10-28
32 Eragrostis leptophylla Kikialea, Kealokekea, South Kona In closed pasture Preserved_Specimen Hosaka, E.Y. 1498 Hawaii BISH 1936-08-07
33 Eragrostis leptophylla Hamakua, Waikii-Humuula Rd.-Kaohe 4 Dry open sandy plains Preserved_Specimen Ewart III, G.R. 164 Hawaii BISH 1932-05-03
34 Eragrostis leptophylla Mauna Loa - Hualalai saddle, Pohakuloa training area, along bobcat trail. Dry, sunny subalpine habitat. Preserved_Specimen Uncommon Faccenda, K. 3602 Hawaii BISH 2024-07-11
35 Eragrostis leptophylla Between Puu Omaokoili and Puu Waialua Community: Sophora-Myoporum with grass understory. Topography: moderate slopes. Substrate: cinder. Associates: Sophora chrysophylla, Myoporum sandwicense, Eucalyptus sp. Preserved_Specimen Douglas, P. 3144 Hawaii BISH 1989-01-17
36 Eragrostis leptophylla West of Pohaka Camp Loess desert with endemic Chenopodium Preserved_Specimen Ubiquitous in tussocks Degener, O. 31104 Hawaii BISH 1960-12-10
37 Eragrostis leptophylla Humuula Sheep Station, Muana Kea. North Hilo In open pasture Preserved_Specimen abundant Hosaka, E.Y. 1603 Hawaii BISH 1936-09-12
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