Eragrostis multicaulis Steud.

This is a common weed growing along roadsides and in waste field, especially common in flower pots.

Culm tufted, erect or ascending, basal nodes geniculate; sheath compressed with keel; ligule a ring of 0.5 mm long hairs. Inflorescence an open panicle, basal branches nearly whorled, axils glabrous. Spikelets 3-10-flowered, dark green in color, about 2.5-4.5 mm long; glumes minute, membranous, unequal, falling off when mature; lower glume about 0.6 mm long, narrow, nerves obscure; the upper glume oblong-ovate, about 1 mm long, 1-nerved; lemma keeled, membranous, semi-ovate in side view, about 1.5 mm long, 3-nerved, falling off when mature; palea membranous, 2-keeled, blunt at the apex, about 1 mm long, persistent or tardily falling off; anthers 3, minute about 3 mm long. Caryopsis about 0.8 mm long, with longitudinal stripes. about 0.8 mm long, with longitudinal stripes.

Annual. Culms tufted, erect or ascending, geniculate at base. Leaf sheaths glabrous at summit or with a few short hairs, compressed; ligules a line of hairs, 0.2–0.1 mm; leaf blades usually flat, 3–9 cm × 0.5–2.5 mm, glabrous. Panicle open, 4.5–9 × 1.5–3 cm; branches solitary or in pairs but base branches nearly whorled, glabrous in axils; pedicels usually shorter than spikelets. Spikelets dark green, 2.5–4.5 mm, 3–10-flowered. Glumes membranous, falling off at maturity, lower glume narrow, veins obscure, ca. 0.6 mm, upper glume oblong-ovate, 1-veined, ca. 1 mm. Lemmas membranous, semi-ovate in side vein, ca. 1.5 mm, middle vein keeled, falling off at maturity. Palea membranous, ca. 1 mm, apex blunt, along 2 keels ciliolate, persistent or tardily falling off at maturity. Stamens 3; anthers ca. 0.2 mm. Caryopsis ca. 0.8 mm, striate. Fl. and fr. late summer. 2n = 40.

Distributed in India, South-east Asia, China to Japan.

Roadsides, waste fields, especially common in flower pots. Taiwan, Yunnan [India, Japan; SE Asia].

Eragrostis niwahokori Honda, Bot. Mag. Tokyo 41: 387. 1927, Monogr. Poac. Jap. 101. 1930.

Eragrostis niwahokori Honda; E. pilosa (Linnaeus) P. Beauvois var. imberbis Franchet; E. pulchra S. C. Sun & H. Q. Wang.