Eragrostis mollior Pilg. ex R.E. Fr.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Kaperepeza road at start of Chisanga trail, Nyika National Park.

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Synonyms:	Eragrostis longipaniculata De Wild.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Densely tufted perennial grass without rhizomes or stolons; culms up to 120 cm tall, erect, unbranched, hairless at the nodes, more or less densely hairy on the internodes when young; ligule a line of hairs. Leaves linear, 15–50 cm long, flat or rolled in when dry, scaberulous to velvety, rarely smooth and hairless, blue-green to bright green; basal sheaths densely woolly below, disintegrating into persistent fibres. Panicle 15–50 cm long, broadly linear to lanceolate in outline, diffuse or contracted, spikelets evenly distributed, branches stiff and straight, usually terminating in a slender bristle, often with long silky hairs in the axils. Spikelets ovate-oblong, 2–4.5 mm long and 2–2.5 mm wide, not compressed, 3–10-flowered; glumes lanceolate to ovate-oblong, hairless; lemmas dorsally rounded, ovate-elliptic to ovate, 1.7–2.2 mm long.
Notes:	This species in the field is quite similar to Eragrostis acraea, also a robust densely tufted plant occurring in similar habitats. That species has much longer and narrower spikelets.
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	In high rainfall grassland, open woodland and disturbed places.
Altitude range:	220 - 2140 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	DRC, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Mozambique distribution:	N,MS
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Friday 5 July 2019
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 345. Chapano, C. (2002). A checklist of Zimbabwean grasses Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 16. Pretoria. Page 6. Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 24. Cope, T.A. (1999). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(2) Page 62. (Includes a picture). Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 134. Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 40. As Eragrostis longepaniculata Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 104. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 130. Poilecot, P. (2007). Eragrostis species of Zimbabwe Éditions Quae,Versailles, France Pages 52 - 53. (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 85.

Other sources of information about Eragrostis mollior:

Our websites:

Flora of Burundi: Eragrostis mollior
Flora of Malawi: Eragrostis mollior
Flora of Zambia: Eragrostis mollior
Flora of Zimbabwe: Eragrostis mollior

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Eragrostis mollior
African Plant Database: Eragrostis mollior
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Eragrostis mollior
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Eragrostis mollior
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Eragrostis mollior
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Eragrostis mollior
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Eragrostis mollior
JSTOR Plant Science: Eragrostis mollior
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Eragrostis mollior
Plants of the World Online: Eragrostis mollior
Tropicos: Eragrostis mollior
Wikipedia: Eragrostis mollior