Poaceae

Eragrostis cilianensis

Common Names: Stinking lovegrass

Plant Form: Tufted annual grass. Size: Up to 60 cm tall. Stem: Round, generally erect but sometimes bending or drooping, have glands near the nodes. Leaves: Rolled onto stem with hairy joint, often olive green, flat, with obvious veins and glands along midvein. Produces a pungent odour when crushed. Flowers: Flowerheads stacked in dense, sometimes open oval shaped cluster, green to purplish grey. Fruit and Seeds: Tiny under 1 mm reddish brown seeds, smooth, shiny, with dimples. Habitat: Crops, pastures, roadsides, footpaths, gardens, lawns. Distinguishing Features: Oval shaped flower cluster, and pungent odour when leaves are crushed distinguish from lookalikes in the Eragrostis, Poa and Fescue genera. Impacts: Outcompetes and replaces native species, infects lawns, possibly toxic to stock in high doses, at least unpalatable.

Very fine grass, may have curly leaves

Flowers that are like grey mist

Immature inforesence

Minute overlapping sheaths