Code
ERAAS
Growth form
grass
Biological cycle
annual
Habitat
terrestrial
🗒 Synonyms
| synonym | Eragrostis aspera var. major Peter |
| synonym | Eragrostis devolvens Gand. |
| synonym | Eragrostis laxiflora Schrad. [Invalid] |
| synonym | Eragrostis laxiflora Schrad., nom. nud. |
| synonym | Eragrostis paniculata Steud. |
| synonym | Eragrostis quintasii Gand. |
| synonym | Poa aspera Jacq. |
| synonym | Poa aspera var. minor Nees, nom. inval. |
| synonym | Poa hippuris Schumach. |
| synonym | Poa paniculata Roxb. |
🗒 Common Names
| Malagasy |
|
📚 Overview
Description
Global description
Eragrostis aspera is a tufted plant, with long and tapered leaves, marked with a line of long white periligular hairs. The ligule is ciliated and is doubled with a crown of long white hairs. The inflorescence is a loose panicle, ellipsoidal, composed of extensively pedicellate spikelets. They are laterally compressed, consisting of 10 to 25 flowers. The spikelets are dislocated from the end. The glumes, lemmas and paleas are membranous, with dorsal scabrous venation. The grain is orbicular, red in color.
First leaves
The first leaves have a rolled prefoliation. The leaf blade is very linear and tapered to the apex, 2 to 10 cm long and 2 to 4 mm wide. It is obliquely erect. The ligule is ciliated, coupled with a second row of long white hairs. The periligular line consists of a row of long white hairs forming whiskers on each side of the ligule. The sheath is cylindrical and bears few long white tuberculate hairs along the margin. The keel is round and slightly marked. The lamina is covered with several long white hairs. The margin and main veins are scabrous. The midrib forms a gutter.
General habit
Plant grows as a dense tuft. The plant has a high tillering, but the axis are slightly branched. This species measures 40 to 100 cm in high.
Underground system
The roots are fibrous. Sometimes some stilt roots at the base of the plant are observed.
Culm
The culm of the grass is cylindrical, 2 to 4 mm large. It is smooth and glabrous. The nodes are glabrous and dark in color.
Leaf
The leaves are alternate and erect obliquely. The sheath is cylindrical and slightly keeled. It has some long white tuberculate hairs near the margin, especially near the ligule. Ligule is ciliated and 0.5 mm high. It is lined with a crown of white hairs 5mm long. The Periligular line has a line of white hairs, 5 to 7 mm long and also whiskers on each side of the ligule. The lamina is linear, extensively tapering to the apex in a sharp point. It is 10 to 30 cm long and 4 to 10 mm wide. It is covered with several long white hairs at the base of the upper face. Margins and main veins are scabrous. The leaf blade is marked in the middle by a grooved central rib.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence is a loose ovoid to ellipsoidal panicle. It can reach 50 cm long. It is formed of a multitude of thin and flexuous branches, with a spikelet at the end. The axils of branches is marked by a small tuft of hairs.
Spikelet
The spikelets are extensively pedicellate. They are 10 to 25 mm long and 1 to 1.5 mm wide and often tinted purple. They consist of 10 to 25 identical flowers, laterally compressed. The terminal flowers are sometimes sterile. At maturity, the spikelets are disarticulated from the terminal flowers. The racheole is fragile and breaks when disarticulation. The glumes are oval, 1 to 1.5 mm long. The lemmas are elliptical and long of 1 to 1.7 mm. The paleas are slightly shorter and narrower. All parts are membranous and scabrous along the dorsal ridge.
Grain
The grain is free, orbicular, having a diameter of 0.5 mm. The seed coat is smooth and dark red in color.
Eragrostis aspera is a tufted plant, with long and tapered leaves, marked with a line of long white periligular hairs. The ligule is ciliated and is doubled with a crown of long white hairs. The inflorescence is a loose panicle, ellipsoidal, composed of extensively pedicellate spikelets. They are laterally compressed, consisting of 10 to 25 flowers. The spikelets are dislocated from the end. The glumes, lemmas and paleas are membranous, with dorsal scabrous venation. The grain is orbicular, red in color.
First leaves
The first leaves have a rolled prefoliation. The leaf blade is very linear and tapered to the apex, 2 to 10 cm long and 2 to 4 mm wide. It is obliquely erect. The ligule is ciliated, coupled with a second row of long white hairs. The periligular line consists of a row of long white hairs forming whiskers on each side of the ligule. The sheath is cylindrical and bears few long white tuberculate hairs along the margin. The keel is round and slightly marked. The lamina is covered with several long white hairs. The margin and main veins are scabrous. The midrib forms a gutter.
General habit
Plant grows as a dense tuft. The plant has a high tillering, but the axis are slightly branched. This species measures 40 to 100 cm in high.
Underground system
The roots are fibrous. Sometimes some stilt roots at the base of the plant are observed.
Culm
The culm of the grass is cylindrical, 2 to 4 mm large. It is smooth and glabrous. The nodes are glabrous and dark in color.
Leaf
The leaves are alternate and erect obliquely. The sheath is cylindrical and slightly keeled. It has some long white tuberculate hairs near the margin, especially near the ligule. Ligule is ciliated and 0.5 mm high. It is lined with a crown of white hairs 5mm long. The Periligular line has a line of white hairs, 5 to 7 mm long and also whiskers on each side of the ligule. The lamina is linear, extensively tapering to the apex in a sharp point. It is 10 to 30 cm long and 4 to 10 mm wide. It is covered with several long white hairs at the base of the upper face. Margins and main veins are scabrous. The leaf blade is marked in the middle by a grooved central rib.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence is a loose ovoid to ellipsoidal panicle. It can reach 50 cm long. It is formed of a multitude of thin and flexuous branches, with a spikelet at the end. The axils of branches is marked by a small tuft of hairs.
Spikelet
The spikelets are extensively pedicellate. They are 10 to 25 mm long and 1 to 1.5 mm wide and often tinted purple. They consist of 10 to 25 identical flowers, laterally compressed. The terminal flowers are sometimes sterile. At maturity, the spikelets are disarticulated from the terminal flowers. The racheole is fragile and breaks when disarticulation. The glumes are oval, 1 to 1.5 mm long. The lemmas are elliptical and long of 1 to 1.7 mm. The paleas are slightly shorter and narrower. All parts are membranous and scabrous along the dorsal ridge.
Grain
The grain is free, orbicular, having a diameter of 0.5 mm. The seed coat is smooth and dark red in color.
Thomas Le Bourgeois
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
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No Data
📚 Nomenclature and Classification
No Data
📚 Natural History
Life Cycle
Life cycle
Annual
Cyclicity
Northern Cameroon: Eragrostis aspera is a species that grows at the end of the crop cycle. Germination occurs in July and lasts only one to two weeks. After weeding or ridging, few new emergence appear. Flowering starts during the month of August but is especially important in September. Fruiting and dissemination extend until the beginning of dry season (late October - early November). This species has a short development cycle of 8 to 10 weeks.
Madagascar: Eragrostis aspera blooms late in the rainy season from February to May.
Madagascar: Eragrostis aspera blooms late in the rainy season from February to May.
Wiktrop
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| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
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There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Reproduction
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Eragrostis aspera is an annual species. It multiplies only by seed
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
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| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Morphology
Growth form
Tuft plant with narrow leaves
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Grass or grass-like
Grass-like leaf type
Grass leaf
Type of prefoliation
Rolled leaf
Latex
Without latex
Stem section
Round
Root type
Fibrous roots
Ligule type
Ligule ciliate with hairs around the ligule
Hollow or solid stem
Hollow stem
Stipule type
No stipule
Leaf attachment type
with graminate sheathing and hair
Fruit type
Grain of grasses
Lamina base
sheathing grass-like broader
Lamina margin
scabrous
Lamina apex
attenuate
Upperface pilosity
Less hairy
Upperface hair type
Scabrous
Long
Lowerface pilosity
Glabrous
Simple leaf type
Lamina linear
Lamina section
flat
folded
Lamina Veination
Parallel
Flower color
Green
Inflorescence type
Panicle
Stem pilosity
Glabrous
Life form
Grass
Look Alikes
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Criteria for identifying some Eragrostis at the vegetative stage (see Le Bourgeois and Kamga-Tchayé 1991)
1 Presence of many sticky glands on the sheath - E. viscosa
1' Absence of sticky glands on the sheath:
2 Periligular zone glabrous:
3 Ligule 0.7 mm, membranous, truncate barely ciliated at the apex; glabrous sheath; glabrous lamina, banded, 3 to 5 mm wide - E. namaquensis
3' Ligule membrano-ciliate 0.3 mm; glabrous sheath; ciliate margin and base (hair white 2-3 mm) - E. gangetica
2' Tufts of developed periligular hairs:
4 Ligule = 0.3 mm:
5 Short and stiff periligular hairs from 1 to 1.5 mm; ciliated ligule - E. turgida
5' Silky, well-developed periligular hairs of 3-4 mm; membrane-ciliated ligule:
6 Glabrous sheath and limb - E. pilosa
6' Long white hairs 3-4 mm at the base and on the margin of the limb, limb green-blue; ligule very slightly membranous - E. tremula
4' Ligule 0.7 to 1 mm, ciliate, usually doubled by a second line of longer hairs:
7 Very long periligular hairs with mustaches of 5 to 7 mm; ciliated ligule lined with a 2nd row of long hair 3-4 mm - E. aspera
7' Periligular hairs developed but with a length of 2 to 5 mm:
8 Ciliated ligule lined with a second row of long hairs; densely hairy sheath - E. ciliaris
8' Ciliated ligule not lined with a second row of hairs; limb glabrous at the base ; margin with few hairs; glabrous sheath - E. cilianensis
1 Presence of many sticky glands on the sheath - E. viscosa
1' Absence of sticky glands on the sheath:
2 Periligular zone glabrous:
3 Ligule 0.7 mm, membranous, truncate barely ciliated at the apex; glabrous sheath; glabrous lamina, banded, 3 to 5 mm wide - E. namaquensis
3' Ligule membrano-ciliate 0.3 mm; glabrous sheath; ciliate margin and base (hair white 2-3 mm) - E. gangetica
2' Tufts of developed periligular hairs:
4 Ligule = 0.3 mm:
5 Short and stiff periligular hairs from 1 to 1.5 mm; ciliated ligule - E. turgida
5' Silky, well-developed periligular hairs of 3-4 mm; membrane-ciliated ligule:
6 Glabrous sheath and limb - E. pilosa
6' Long white hairs 3-4 mm at the base and on the margin of the limb, limb green-blue; ligule very slightly membranous - E. tremula
4' Ligule 0.7 to 1 mm, ciliate, usually doubled by a second line of longer hairs:
7 Very long periligular hairs with mustaches of 5 to 7 mm; ciliated ligule lined with a 2nd row of long hair 3-4 mm - E. aspera
7' Periligular hairs developed but with a length of 2 to 5 mm:
8 Ciliated ligule lined with a second row of long hairs; densely hairy sheath - E. ciliaris
8' Ciliated ligule not lined with a second row of hairs; limb glabrous at the base ; margin with few hairs; glabrous sheath - E. cilianensis
Thomas Le Bourgeois
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Ecology
Northern Cameroon: Eragrostis aspera is a sun-loving species. It develops in the Sudano-Sahelian and Sudanese regions where annual rainfall is between 900 and 1400 mm. It is a ruderal species, often present along roadside, in vacant lots and in fallow. It is also a common weed of annual crops. It grows mainly in light, well-draining soils in humid area such as ferruginous soils or on more clayey and stony soils in dry region like fersialitic soils. However, it is very rare on very clayey, moist soils like vertisols or Planosols.
Madagascar: E. aspera grows on ferruginous soils, lateritic sandy loam and sandy loam alluvial, with medium or low fertility, in sunny places. It is a weed of crops and recent fallow in semi-arid and sub-humid area up to 1000 m of elevation in semi-intensive cropping systems based on cotton, corn, peanuts and cassava.
Mauritius: absent.
Reunion: absent.
Seychelles: absent.
Madagascar: E. aspera grows on ferruginous soils, lateritic sandy loam and sandy loam alluvial, with medium or low fertility, in sunny places. It is a weed of crops and recent fallow in semi-arid and sub-humid area up to 1000 m of elevation in semi-intensive cropping systems based on cotton, corn, peanuts and cassava.
Mauritius: absent.
Reunion: absent.
Seychelles: absent.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
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| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
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No Data
📚 Habitat and Distribution
General Habitat
Habitat
Terrestrial
Description
Geographical distibution
Madagascar
Origin
Eragrostis aspera is native to Africa
Worldwide distribution
Eragrostis aspera is widespread in Tropical and Southern Africa, North Africa and Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar, India and Pakistan, Southeast Asia, Indonesia.
Eragrostis aspera is native to Africa
Worldwide distribution
Eragrostis aspera is widespread in Tropical and Southern Africa, North Africa and Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar, India and Pakistan, Southeast Asia, Indonesia.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
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No Data
📚 Occurrence
No Data
📚 Demography and Conservation
Risk Statement
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Local harmfulness
Northern Cameroon: Eragrostis aspera is a regional weed, present in 15% of cultivated plots in the Sudanese area and to a lesser extent in the Sudano-Sahelian region. This species is mainly present in low intensified cultures receiving no herbicide, such as sorghum or peanuts and which are rotated with intensive crops such as cotton and corn.
Madagascar: Species of medium frequency and locally abundant in the middle and the end of the cycle, it can be harmful to crops with more or less long cycle or poorly maintained: cassava, cowpea, groundnut, cotton in semi-arid and sub-humid areas up to 1000 m of elevation. It is a characteristic weed of crops in dry areas on light soils.
Mauritius: absent.
Reunion: absent.
Seychelles: absent.
Northern Cameroon: Eragrostis aspera is a regional weed, present in 15% of cultivated plots in the Sudanese area and to a lesser extent in the Sudano-Sahelian region. This species is mainly present in low intensified cultures receiving no herbicide, such as sorghum or peanuts and which are rotated with intensive crops such as cotton and corn.
Madagascar: Species of medium frequency and locally abundant in the middle and the end of the cycle, it can be harmful to crops with more or less long cycle or poorly maintained: cassava, cowpea, groundnut, cotton in semi-arid and sub-humid areas up to 1000 m of elevation. It is a characteristic weed of crops in dry areas on light soils.
Mauritius: absent.
Reunion: absent.
Seychelles: absent.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Uses and Management
Management
Madagascar: Eragrostis aspera is mainly controlled by hand weeding with angady in cropping systems based on cassava, cotton and peanut.
Thomas Le Bourgeois, Randriamampianina Jean Augustin
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| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
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No Data
📚 Information Listing
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
Thomas Le Bourgeois
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
References
- Zon van der A.P.M., 1992. Graminées du Cameroun, Vol. II, Flore. Wageningen Agric. Univ. Papers 92 - 1, Wageningen, 557 p.
- Le Bourgeois Th. & Kamga F., 1991. Quelques critères de détermination au stade végétatif des Eragrostis annuels adventices des cultures au Nord-Cameroun. Weed Research, 31, 1 : 59-62.
- Le Bourgeois, T., A. Carrara, M. Dodet, W. Dogley, A. Gaungoo, P. Grard, Y. Ibrahim, E. Jeuffrault, G. Lebreton, P. Poilecot, J. Prosperi, J. A. Randriamampianina, A. P. Andrianaivo and F. Théveny (2008). Advent-OI : Principales adventices des îles du sud-ouest de l'Océan Indien. Cirad. Montpellier, France, Cirad.
- Le Bourgeois, T. and H. Merlier (1995). Adventrop - Les adventices d'Afrique soudano-sahélienne. Montpellier, France, Cirad. 640 p.
- Merlier H. & Montégut J., 1982. Adventices tropicales. ORSTOM-GERDAT-ENSH éd., Montpellier, France, 490p.
- Stanfield D.P., 1970. The flora of Nigeria, Grasses. Stanfield and Lowe ed., Ibadan University Press, Ibadan, Nigeria, 118p.
- http://idao.cirad.fr/SpecieSheet?sheet=adventoi/especes/e/eraas/eraas_fr.html
- Vanden Berghen C., 1983. Matériaux pour une flore de la végétation herbacée de la Casamance occidentale, Sénégal, Fascicule 2, Gramineae. Jardin Botanique National de Belgique, 66 p.
- Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. http://www.kew.org/data/grasses-db.html. [accessed 08 January 2020]
- Grard, P., T. Le Bourgeois and H. Merlier (2010). Adventrop V.1.5 Les adventices d'Afrique soudano-sahélienne. Montpellier, France, Cirad.
- Le Bourgeois Th., 1993. Les mauvaises herbes dans la rotation cotonnière au Nord-Cameroun (Afrique) - Amplitude d'habitat et degré d'infestation - Cycle de développement. Thèse USTL Montpellier II, Montpellier, France, 241 p.
- Berhaut J., 1967. Flore du Sénégal. 2ème éd. Clairafrique éd., Dakar, Sénégal, 485 p.
- MOODY K., 1989 –Weeds reported in Rice in South and Southeast Asia. IRRI, Los Banös Philippines, 442 p.
- BOSSER J. 1969 – LES GRAMINEES DES PATURAGES ET DES CULTURES A MADAGASCAR Mémoire ORSTOM N°35 ORSTOM, Paris, p 153-155.
- https://plants.jstor.org/compilation/eragrostis.aspera
- Hutchinson J., Dalziel J. M., Keay R. W. J. & Hepper F. N., 1972. Flora of West Tropical Africa. Vol. III part. 2. 2ème éd. The Whitefriars Press ed., London & Tonbridge, 574p.
Information Listing > References
- Zon van der A.P.M., 1992. Graminées du Cameroun, Vol. II, Flore. Wageningen Agric. Univ. Papers 92 - 1, Wageningen, 557 p.
- Le Bourgeois Th. & Kamga F., 1991. Quelques critères de détermination au stade végétatif des Eragrostis annuels adventices des cultures au Nord-Cameroun. Weed Research, 31, 1 : 59-62.
- Le Bourgeois, T., A. Carrara, M. Dodet, W. Dogley, A. Gaungoo, P. Grard, Y. Ibrahim, E. Jeuffrault, G. Lebreton, P. Poilecot, J. Prosperi, J. A. Randriamampianina, A. P. Andrianaivo and F. Théveny (2008). Advent-OI : Principales adventices des îles du sud-ouest de l'Océan Indien. Cirad. Montpellier, France, Cirad.
- Le Bourgeois, T. and H. Merlier (1995). Adventrop - Les adventices d'Afrique soudano-sahélienne. Montpellier, France, Cirad. 640 p.
- Merlier H. & Montégut J., 1982. Adventices tropicales. ORSTOM-GERDAT-ENSH éd., Montpellier, France, 490p.
- Stanfield D.P., 1970. The flora of Nigeria, Grasses. Stanfield and Lowe ed., Ibadan University Press, Ibadan, Nigeria, 118p.
- http://idao.cirad.fr/SpecieSheet?sheet=adventoi/especes/e/eraas/eraas_fr.html
- Vanden Berghen C., 1983. Matériaux pour une flore de la végétation herbacée de la Casamance occidentale, Sénégal, Fascicule 2, Gramineae. Jardin Botanique National de Belgique, 66 p.
- Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. http://www.kew.org/data/grasses-db.html. [accessed 08 January 2020]
- Grard, P., T. Le Bourgeois and H. Merlier (2010). Adventrop V.1.5 Les adventices d'Afrique soudano-sahélienne. Montpellier, France, Cirad.
- Le Bourgeois Th., 1993. Les mauvaises herbes dans la rotation cotonnière au Nord-Cameroun (Afrique) - Amplitude d'habitat et degré d'infestation - Cycle de développement. Thèse USTL Montpellier II, Montpellier, France, 241 p.
- Berhaut J., 1967. Flore du Sénégal. 2ème éd. Clairafrique éd., Dakar, Sénégal, 485 p.
- MOODY K., 1989 –Weeds reported in Rice in South and Southeast Asia. IRRI, Los Banös Philippines, 442 p.
- BOSSER J. 1969 – LES GRAMINEES DES PATURAGES ET DES CULTURES A MADAGASCAR Mémoire ORSTOM N°35 ORSTOM, Paris, p 153-155.
- https://plants.jstor.org/compilation/eragrostis.aspera
- Hutchinson J., Dalziel J. M., Keay R. W. J. & Hepper F. N., 1972. Flora of West Tropical Africa. Vol. III part. 2. 2ème éd. The Whitefriars Press ed., London & Tonbridge, 574p.
Etude floristique et phytoécologique des adventices des complexes sucriers de Ferké 1 et 2, de Borotou-Koro et de Zuenoula, en Côte d'Ivoire
TL
Thomas Le BourgeoisWeeds of tropical rainfed cropping systems: are there patterns at a global level of perception?
TL
Thomas Le BourgeoisImages
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Eragrostis%2520aspera
Thomas Le Bourgeois
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| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
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There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
🐾 Taxonomy
| Root | Root |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Liliopsida |
| Order | Poales |
| Family | Poaceae |
| Genus | Eragrostis |
| Species | Eragrostis aspera (Jacq.) Nees |
📊 Temporal Distribution
📷 Related Observations
