Common Name: Love Grass

General Information

Love grass is a vigorous perennial grass with stout rhizomes, growing 20 - 50cm tall[]. It forms a sward and spreads rapidly by means of extensively creeping rhizomes[].
The plant is sometimes used locally for weaving into mats, hats etc, and has often been cultivated as a lawn grass and to prevent soil erosion[].

Known Hazards

The plant can annoy and injure humans and animals due to its needle-sharp prickly spikelets that stick to clothing or fur and can penetrate the skin[, ]. The seeds work through clothing and can cause irritating sores[].

Botanical References

Range

Throughout tropical southeast Asia to Australia and Polynesia.

Habitat

Dry open grasslands, waste ground and lawns at elevations of 500 - 1,000 metres in China[]. Resistant to trampling, it is frequently found in overgrazed areas, is a vigorous colonizer of denuded ground and tends to dominate with regular burning[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.50 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of moderately dry to humid tropical areas, where it is found at elevations up to 1,500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 28°c, but can tolerate 15 - 35°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 700 - 1,200mm, but tolerates 400 - 2,000mm[].
Prefers sandy loamy soils and a sunny position[]. Succeeds in poor, sandy soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6, tolerating 4.5 - 6.5[]. Plants cannot withstand prolonged dry periods[].
In improved pastures the plant is often considered as a noxious weed, and has been declared such in some countries[, ].
The plant may form a firm mat over the ground, and starts to flower within 40 - 55 days from establishment[].
The plant flowers throughout the year[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Love grass is a vigorous plant that can spread extensively by means of its rhizomes and soon forms a dense ground cover. It is often used as a lawn grass in the tropics and for the control of soil erosion on banks and similar sites[, ].

Other Uses

The straw is used for weaving mats, hats, brushes, small cases etc[, , ].

Propagation

Seed -

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