Eragrostis elongata "Clustered Lovegrass" - Plant Profiles

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Eragrostis elongata

Scientific Name	Eragrostis elongata
Categories	Grass
Common Name(s)	Clustered Lovegrass
Family	Poaceae

Description

"Perennial. Culms erect, 21–90 cm tall, 2–4 -noded." (Simon, B.K. & Alfonso, Y. 2011. AusGrass2)

Notes

Eragrostis elongata covers the ground on lighter soils very well and produces abundant colourful inflorescences throughout the season after rain. In our area many of these lighter soils are granite wash or alluviums covered in Eucalyptus forest or woodland. These places often dry out abruptly in Summer producing acute moisture stress and this indicates high suitability for a number of the mining rehabilitation sites we encounter. The distribution of E. elongata also infers a high degree of usefulness for its seed in rehabilitation.

Native grasses with such low height characteristics, lights soil adaptation and excellent ground covering ability are very badly needed as option for native plant rehabilitation. Hopefully these works will encourage others to produce such seed and make it available. More information can be seen on this website for the similar taxon, Eragrostis sororia.

Regarding edaphic factors for E. elongata, and to quote Simon, B.K. & Alfonso, Y. 2011. AusGrass2, "On a range of grey, black, red and brown, often gravelly clays, sands, loams and podsols associated with granite, sandstone, conglomerate, shale or laterite; often in or near alluvial, well-watered habitats (floodplains, watercourses, swales, swamps, claypans, gorge beds); also on beach dunes, hillslope rockholes and gullies, and on disturbed roadsides and railway enclosures.; flowers all year round.; fruits all year round."

Dr Judi Earl of Local Land Services, NSW, has produced a very informative video on similar native Eragrostis species and a link to this is below.

Historical Notes

Distribution

Eragrostis elongata is recorded in a large portion of the Australian continent excluding much of inland Western Australia and western South Australia.