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African lovegrass
- African lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula)
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- African lovegrass infestation
General information
A native of southern Africa, African lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) was probably first introduced to Australia by accident as a contaminant of pasture seed. Different cultivars of this grass have also been used as a soil stabiliser in erosion control situations.
African lovegrass is not a declared plant under Queensland legislation, however its control is recommended.
| Scientific name |
Eragrostis curvula |
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Impacts |
- extremely competitive with other pasture species
- unpalatable to stock as grass ages
- may contain low (3%) levels of protein causing stock that graze on it to do poorly
- forms dense monocultures up to 1.2 m high, creating large fuel loads and posing a fire hazard
- competes with native species regeneration after fire
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| Description |
- densely tufted, perennial species
- grows up to 1.2 m in height
- generally erect but stems may bend at lower nodes, giving plant a weeping habit
- narrow bright green to blue-green leaf blades
- leaves hairless, tough to break, with distinct parallel veins
- compact flower head when young, then spreads
- seed heads can be up to 30 cm long
- seeds have typical overlapping herringbone feature of all Eragrostis spp.
- basal sheaths surrounding crown at ground level have fine silky hairs
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| Habitat/distribution/life cycle |
- reproduces by thousands of seeds at a time
- thrives along roadsides and other neglected areas, often spreading into adjacent pastures
- cattle can excrete viable seed up to 10 days after consumption
- found throughout the Burnett, Darling Downs and Granite Belt regions of Queensland
- also recorded in the pastoral districts of Wide Bay, Maranoa, Port Curtis, Moreton and Warrego
- may be spreading into more fertile areas of southern Queensland and invading pastures, lucerne and summer cropping areas
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| Control |
- not easy to control and requires an integrated approach
- effective control depends on preventing seed spread, and whether land affected is arable or non-arable
- prevention of spread to clean areas and control of new infestations best option for effective management
- see the African lovegrass fact sheet for more information, including registered chemicals and application rates
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| Declaration details |
- not a declared plant under Queensland legislation but may be declared at a local government level under local laws
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| Further information |
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