Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #116464
Title: LOVEGRASSES

Author
item Voigt, Paul
item RETHMAN, N - UNIV. OF PRETORIA
item POVERENE, M - UNIV. NACIONAL DEL SUR

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy Monograph Series
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2002
Publication Date: 10/1/2004
Citation: Voigt, P.W., Rethman, N.F., Poverene, M.M. 2004. Lovegrasses. In: L.E. Moser et al. (ed.) Warm-season (C4) grasses, Agronomy No. 45, pp. 1027-1056. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The lovegrasses, Eragrostis Wolf, are a large genus of more than 350 species centered in southern Africa. The most important agricultural species are tef, E. tef (Zucc.) Trotter, an important grain crop of Ethiopia, and weeping, E. curvula (Schrad.) Nees, and Lehmann lovegrass, E. lehmanniana Nees, important conservation and forage grasses native to South hAfrica. The most important North American lovegrasses are sand lovegrass, E. trichodes (Nutt.) Wood, and plains lovegrass, E. intermedia Hitchc. The most widely distributed of these is E. curvula which has been widely planted as a conservation and/or forage grass in parts of Africa, Australia, North America, and South America. E. curvula is a poorly understood complex of species that reproduces through seed, but primarily asexually, by apomixis. The most important type of E. curvula is weeping lovegrass. Weeping lovegrass has all of the important qualities of a forage grass except high forage quality. It must be carefully managed to produce acceptable animal gains. Boer lovegrass, a second type of E. curvula, is more palatable than other types and more drought resistant than weeping lovegrass, but is less winter hardy and less productive. Some robusta type germplasm continues to be of interest, but has not achieved the potential originally envisioned. Lehmann lovegrass is easier to establish in dry environments than E. curvula. Because it is very low in palatability during the summer, has the capability to maintain its stands by recruitment of new seedlings and spread into adjacent areas, it has become an invasive plant in parts of the grass/shrub lands of the southwestern USA.