Species

Ehrharta erecta

Etymology

erecta: erect

Common Name(s)

veldt grass

Authority

Ehrharta erecta Lam.

Family

Poaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

EHRERE

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Grasses

Habitat

Terrestrial. A plant of coastal and lowland habitats (Timmins & MacKenzie 1995). Plant grows in sites of low fertility (Timmins & MacKenzie 1995). A plant of sand dunes, cliffs and bluff communities (Timmins & MacKenzie 1995).

Features

Slender, tufted perennial grass to 60 cm tall. Leaves pale green, soft, broad, shortly hairy, often dying back in summer drought. Sheaths short. Seedhead an open, erect, 10-40 cm long, ragged panicle of narrow spikes.

Similar Taxa

Most similar to E. longiflora, but the upper lemma of E. erecta is hairless, wrinkled and has no awn.

Flowering

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Flower Colours

Cream,White

Year Naturalised

1944

Origin

Sth Africa

Reason for Introduction

Agricultural

Life Cycle and Dispersal

Perennial. Vegetative reproduction occurs and seed is produced in large quantities all year round (Timmins & MacKenzie 1995). Seed dispersal is by wind, water and bird.

Tolerances

The plant is drought and shade tolerant and very tolerant to shade (Timmins & MacKenzie 1995). Requires low soil fertility (Atkinson 1997).

References and further reading

Ogle, C.C. 1988. Veld grass Ehrharta erecta has come to stay. Wellington Botanical Society Bulletin, 44: 8-15

This page last updated on 3 Jul 2014