Microlaena stipoides
Encyclopedia
Microlaena stipoides or Ehrharta stipoides, is a species of grass
that occurs naturally in all states of Australia as well as in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippines. It has also been introduced into Hawaii and Reunion Island and has been reported as invasive in both. Common names used include weeping grass, weeping rice grass and weeping meadow grass.
P. Martin, writing in 2004, commented:
“Although the generic name Microlaena is strongly defended by Australasian agrostologists (e.g. Wheeler et al. 2002) many European authors treat it as a section of the genus Ehrharta, so that information on the species in question will be found in these sources under the name Ehrharta stipoides Labill. (e.g. Clayton and Renvoize 1986).” He chooses to refer to the species as Microlaena stipoides throughout the rest of his paper.
The Australian Plant Census lists both names as synonymous, but a search for the common name, “weeping grass” in the Australian Botanic Garden’s database yields the name “Microlaena stipoides”. This name will be used for the rest of the article. Not all species are affected by this ambiguity. The non-indigenous species Ehrharta erecta
, for example, remains in the genus Ehrharta in the literature of Oceania and the western Pacific.
(grains) are similar in shape to rice grains but smaller, approximately 5 mm long, with a mass that varies widely, ranging from 1 mg to 7 mg. Microlaena stipoides prefers acidic soils and is drought- and frost-tolerant. In Australia it is found in areas of medium to high rainfall (above 600 mm per annum) and the leaves normally remain green all year.
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
that occurs naturally in all states of Australia as well as in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Philippines. It has also been introduced into Hawaii and Reunion Island and has been reported as invasive in both. Common names used include weeping grass, weeping rice grass and weeping meadow grass.
P. Martin, writing in 2004, commented:
“Although the generic name Microlaena is strongly defended by Australasian agrostologists (e.g. Wheeler et al. 2002) many European authors treat it as a section of the genus Ehrharta, so that information on the species in question will be found in these sources under the name Ehrharta stipoides Labill. (e.g. Clayton and Renvoize 1986).” He chooses to refer to the species as Microlaena stipoides throughout the rest of his paper.
The Australian Plant Census lists both names as synonymous, but a search for the common name, “weeping grass” in the Australian Botanic Garden’s database yields the name “Microlaena stipoides”. This name will be used for the rest of the article. Not all species are affected by this ambiguity. The non-indigenous species Ehrharta erecta
Ehrharta erecta
Ehrharta erecta is a species of grass also known as panic veldtgrass. The species is native to Southern Africa and Yemen. It is a documented invasive species in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, southern Europe, and China....
, for example, remains in the genus Ehrharta in the literature of Oceania and the western Pacific.
Description
Microlaena stipoides grows to a height of approximately 0.7 metres and produces delicate drooping stalks carrying the spikelets which contain seeds. The naked caryopsesCaryopsis
In botany, a caryopsis is a type of simple dry fruit — one that is monocarpelate and indehiscent and resembles an achene, except that in a caryopsis the pericarp is fused with the thin seed coat....
(grains) are similar in shape to rice grains but smaller, approximately 5 mm long, with a mass that varies widely, ranging from 1 mg to 7 mg. Microlaena stipoides prefers acidic soils and is drought- and frost-tolerant. In Australia it is found in areas of medium to high rainfall (above 600 mm per annum) and the leaves normally remain green all year.