Eragrostis pilosa
(L.) P.Beauv.
Poaceae
Catabrosa verticillata (Cav.) P.Beauv.
Eragrostis afghanica Gand.
Eragrostis albensis H.Scholz
Eragrostis bagdadensis Boiss.
Eragrostis baguirmiensis A.Chev.
Eragrostis bicolor Boiss.
Eragrostis bithynica Griseb.
Eragrostis collocarpa K.Schum.
Eragrostis damiensiana laxior Thell.
Eragrostis filiformis Link
Eragrostis gracilis Schrad.
Eragrostis gracilis Velen.
Eragrostis gracillima Hack.
Eragrostis imberbis (Franch.) Prob.
Eragrostis indica (J.Koenig ex Rottler) Willd. ex Steud.
Eragrostis jeholensis Honda
Eragrostis linkii (Kunth) Steud.
Eragrostis longipes Keng
Eragrostis multispicula Kitag.
Eragrostis petersii Trin.
Eragrostis punctata (L.f.) Link ex Steud.
Eragrostis senegalensis (Desv.) A.Chev.
Eragrostis tenuiflora Rupr. ex Steud.
Eragrostis verticillata (Cav.) P.Beauv.
Poa bohemica J.C.Mayer ex Mert. & W.D.J.Koch
Poa chilensis Steud.
Poa delicatior Steud.
Poa eragrostis Walter
Poa indica J.Koenig ex Rottler
Poa linkii Kunth
Poa mexicana Link
Poa pilosa L.
Poa plumosa Schrad.
Poa poiretii Roem. & Schult.
Poa punctata L.f.
Poa senegalensis Desv.
Poa tenella Pall.
Poa tenuiflora Steud.
Poa verticillata Cav.
Common Name: Soft Love Grass
General Information
Soft love grass is a loosely clump-forming annual grass; the culms can be branched or unbranched, they are erect or ascending to 70cm[
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
,
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
Range
Tropical and warm temperate regions of southeast Asia, Australia, Africa and southern Europe.
Habitat
Dambo and floodplain grassland, on river sand banks and alluvium and in black basaltic soil, in mopane woodland on clayey soils and in sandveld; also commonly as a weed of cultivated and disturbed places; at elevations from 10 - 1,700 metres[
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
].
Properties
| Weed Potential | Yes |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Annual |
| Height | 0.60 m |
| Pollinators | Wind |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Succeeds in any good loam or humus-rich soil in a sunny position[
162- Title
- Ornamental Grasses.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Grounds. R.
- Publisher
- Christopher Helm
- Year
- 1989
- ISBN
- 0-7470-1219-9
- Description
- Cultivation details of many of the grasses and bamboos. Well illustrated.
]. Prefers a light soil[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
].
A common weed of cultivated land[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
Plants are harvested (from the wild?[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
]) on a regular basis in E. Africa for their edible seed[
177- Title
- Plants for Human Consumption.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kunkel. G.
- Publisher
- Koeltz Scientific Books
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 3874292169
- Description
- An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
].
Edible Uses
Seed - ground into a flour and used as a cereal[
105- Title
- Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tanaka. T. & Nakao S.
- Publisher
- Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo
- Year
- 1976
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
]. It is generally seen as a famine food, but is used regularly in some areas[
177- Title
- Plants for Human Consumption.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kunkel. G.
- Publisher
- Koeltz Scientific Books
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 3874292169
- Description
- An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
,
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. People in Mauritania in time of famine raid ant-hill granaries to obtain the seed for cooking into cakes[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. The seed contains around 16% protein[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
]. It is very small and fiddly to utilize[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Medicinal
The plant is said to be an effective cure for contusions[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - sow in situ, only just covering the seed. Germination is usually very quick and free.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
