Details Top

Internal ID UUID64403028eb6c5201578858
Scientific name Eragrostis minor
Authority Host
First published in Fl. Austriaca 1: 135 (1827)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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General Uses Top

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Common products:
- Pasture forage: Eragrostis minor is grazed by cattle, sheep, and goats in mixed grassland systems, especially in subtropical and Mediterranean climates where its rapid growth provides a seasonal feed source.
- Hay: The plant is harvested as cut hay in mid‑summer when vegetative biomass is at its peak; the hay is used for winter feed or as a supplemental forage in stall‑fed systems.
- Pasture renovation: The species is sometimes included in seed mixtures for pasture establishment and renovation, where its rapid germination and early growth help suppress weeds and provide early‑season grazing.

Properties relevant to use:
- Propagates by seed: The species produces abundant seed that germinates readily, allowing natural reseeding of pastures and eliminating the need for regular replanting.
- Drought tolerance: As a C₄ annual, E. minor tolerates periods of water deficit, supporting forage production in low‑rainfall environments.
- Growth habit: The grass forms dense tufts and a shallow root network, providing quick ground cover and helping to suppress weeds in newly established pastures.
- Photosynthetic pathway: Eragrostis minor is a C4 grass, which confers higher water‑use efficiency and photosynthetic rates compared with many C3 grasses, an advantage in semi‑arid forage systems.
- Seed characteristics: The seeds are small, lightweight, and viable for broadcast seeding, facilitating cost‑effective establishment without intensive soil preparation.

Standards and regulation:
- The species is listed in the USDA PLANTS database, an authoritative reference for forage and hay species; its use in livestock feed complies with the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guidelines for animal feed safety and labeling.
- Where the plant occurs as a weed, it is subject to national seed certification and weed‑management regulations, but its intentional cultivation for forage is governed by the same feed‑safety standards.

Sustainability and sourcing:
- Self‑seeding, low‑input cultivation: Because the plant regenerates from seed, it can be managed with minimal soil disturbance, reducing seeding costs and labor.
- Marginal‑soil utilization: Eragrostis minor thrives on disturbed, low‑fertility sites, allowing productive use of land that may be unsuitable for other forage crops, thereby supporting extensive grazing systems without the need for additional fertilizer or irrigation.
- Integration into mixed pastures: The species is often combined with other C₄ and C₃ grasses to extend the grazing season and improve pasture resilience, contributing to more sustainable livestock production.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Eragrostis beguinotii Belosersky Atti Accad. Sci. Veneto-Trentino-Istiana , ser. 3, 7: 174 (1914 publ. 1915)
Eragrostis borysthenica Klokov Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 12: 52 (1950)
Eragrostis brizoides Costa Introd. Fl. Cataluña , Supl.: 81 (1877)
Eragrostis cilianensis subsp. pooides (P.Beauv.) Husn. Graminées 55 1898
Eragrostis megastachya var. nana Trab. Bull. Soc. Bot. France 54: xxiv. 1907
Eragrostis minor f. arenosa A.F.Schwarz Fl. Nürnb. 1244 1901
Eragrostis minor f. umbrosa A.F.Schwarz Fl. Nürnb. 1244 1901
Eragrostis minor var. minima B.S.Sun & S.Wang Acta Bot. Yunnan. 11: 307 (1989)
Eragrostis minor var. suaveolens (Claus) Schmalh. Izv. Imp. Bot. Sada Petra Velikago 14(Suppl. 2): 68 1915
Eragrostis multiflora var. pappiana Chiov. Annuario Reale Ist. Bot. Roma 8: 65. 1902
Eragrostis multiflora var. poioides (P.Beauv.) Trab. Fl. Algérie Monocot.: 199 1895
Eragrostis pappiana Chiov. Annuario Reale Ist. Bot. Roma 8: 371 (1908 publ. 1907)
Eragrostis pilosa var. minor (Host) Kuntze Revis. Gen. Pl. 3(3): 353 (1898)
Eragrostis poiformis Link Hort. Berol. 1: 188 (1827)
Eragrostis poioides P.Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult. Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis [Roemer & Schultes] 2: 574. 1817 [Nov 1817]
Eragrostis pooides P.Beauv. Ess. Agrostogr. : 162 (1812)
Eragrostis pooides f. arenosa (A.Schwarz) Soó Acta Bot. Acad. Sci. Hung. 17: 123 (1971 publ. 1972)
Eragrostis pooides f. umbrosa (A.Schwarz) Soó Acta Bot. Acad. Sci. Hung. 17: 123 (1971 publ. 1972)
Eragrostis poaeoides var. laxiflora Döll Fl. Bras. (Martius) 2(3): 149. 1878 [1 Sep 1878]
Eragrostis pooides var. spiciformis Trautv. ex Regel Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 7: 621. 1881
Eragrostis pooides var. suaveolens (Claus) Schmalh. Fl. Sredn. Yuzhn. Rossii 2: 631 1897
Eragrostis suaveolens Becker ex Claus Beitr. Pflanzenk. Russ. Reiches 8: 266 (1851)
Eragrostis suaveolens subsp. borysthenica (Schmalh.) Tzvelev Fl. Evropeískoí Chasti SSSR 1: 347 (1974)
Eragrostis suaveolens var. borysthenica Schmalh. Zap. Kievsk. Obshch. Estestvoisp. 11: 73 1891
Eragrostis vulgaris Coss. & Germ. Fl. Descr. Anal. Paris 641. 1845 (1845)
Eragrostis vulgaris subsp. minor (Host) Rouy Fl. France 14: 263 (1913)
Eragrostis vulgaris subsp. pooides (P.Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult.) R.C.V.Douin in Bonnier & R.C.V.Douin Fl. Ill. France 12: 32 (1933)
Eragrostis vulgaris var. microstachya Coss. & Germ. Fl. Descr. Anal. Paris : 641 (1845)
Eragrostis vulgaris var. minor (Host) Rouy Fl. France 14: 263 1913
Eragrostis willdenoviana Nees ex Hook. & Arn. Bot. Beechey Voy. 252. 1838 [Jul 1838]
Poa canariensis Willd. ex Spreng. Syst. Veg. 1: 345 (1824)
Poa eragrostis L. Sp. Pl. : 68 (1753)
Eragrostis minor subsp. angusta H.Scholz & Raus Willdenowia 36: 728 (2006)
Eragrostis vulgaris subsp. poaeoides R.C.V.Douin Fl. Ill. France 12: 32 1927
Eragrostis pilosa var. minor Griseb. & Schenk. Arch. Naturgesch. 18: 361 1852
Eragrostis poaoides Roem. & Schult. Syst. Veg., ed. 15 bis 2: 574 (1817)
Eragrostis megastachya subsp. pooides (P.Beauv. ex Roem. & Schult.) Husn. Graminées : 55 (1898)
Eragrostis minor subsp. mimica H.Scholz XII Moskovsk. Soveshch. Filogen. Rast. : 84 (2010)
Eragrostis minor subsp. roborovskii (Tzvelev) H.Scholz XII Moskovsk. Soveshch. Filogen. Rast. : 85 (2010)
Eragrostis minor var. roborovskii Tzvelev Rast. Tsentral. Azii 4: 141 (1968)
Eragrostis minor var. rajasthanensis Vivek, G.V.S.Murthy & V.J.Nair J. Econ. Taxon. Bot. 37: 717 (2013)
Eragrostis eragrostis var. microstachya (Coss. & Germ.) Farw. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 10: 306 (1927)
Eragrostis pooides subsp. brizoides K.Richt. Pl. Eur. 1: 73 (1890)
Eragrostis cilianensis f. nana Maire & Weiller Fl. Afrique N. 2: 176 (1953)
Eragrostis multiflora var. pooides (Husn.) Trab. Fl. Algérie , Monocot.: 199 (1895)
Eragrostis pooides var. laxiflora Döll Fl. Bras. 2(3): 149 (1878)
Eragrostis cilianensis f. minor (Host) Maire & Weiller Fl. Afrique N. 2: 175 (1953)

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
English lesser love-grass
English little lovegrass
Arabic أثب أصغر
Bulgarian дребна власица
Czech milička menší
Welsh serchwellt bach
German kleines liebesgras
Finnish matalaröllinurmikka
Latvian mazā eragroste
mn Бага хургалж
Dutch klein liefdegras
Polish miłka drobna
Swedish kärleksgräs
Chinese 小画眉草
Chinese 小畫眉草

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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No germination or propagation data was added yet.

Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Africa
    • East Tropical Africa
      • Kenya
      • Tanzania
    • Macaronesia
      • Azores
      • Madeira
    • Northeast Tropical Africa
      • Djibouti
      • Eritrea
      • Ethiopia
      • Socotra
      • Somalia
      • Sudan
    • Northern Africa
      • Algeria
      • Egypt
    • Southern Africa
      • Northern Provinces
    • West Tropical Africa
      • Mauritania
      • Senegal
    • West-central Tropical Africa
      • Burundi
    • Western Indian Ocean
      • Madagascar
      • Mauritius
      • Réunion
  • Asia-temperate
    • Arabian Peninsula
      • Gulf States
      • Kuwait
      • Oman
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Yemen
    • Caucasus
      • North Caucasus
      • Transcaucasus
    • China
      • China North-central
      • China South-central
      • China Southeast
      • Inner Mongolia
      • Manchuria
      • Qinghai
      • Tibet
      • Xinjiang
    • Eastern Asia
      • Japan
      • Korea
      • Nansei-shoto
      • Taiwan
    • Middle Asia
      • Kazakhstan
      • Kirgizstan
      • Tadzhikistan
      • Turkmenistan
      • Uzbekistan
    • Mongolia
      • Mongolia
    • Russian Far East
      • Primorye
    • Siberia
      • Altay
      • Buryatiya
      • Chita
      • Krasnoyarsk
      • Tuva
    • Western Asia
      • Afghanistan
      • East Aegean Islands
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Lebanon-Syria
      • Palestine
      • Sinai
      • Turkey
  • Asia-tropical
    • Indian Subcontinent
      • Bangladesh
      • East Himalaya
      • India
      • Nepal
      • Pakistan
      • Sri Lanka
      • West Himalaya
    • Indo-China
      • Myanmar
      • Vietnam
    • Malesia
      • Jawa
      • Lesser Sunda Islands
    • Papuasia
      • New Guinea
  • Australasia
    • Australia
      • New South Wales
      • Northern Territory
      • Queensland
      • South Australia
      • Tasmania
      • Victoria
      • Western Australia
  • Europe
    • Eastern Europe
      • Baltic States
      • Belarus
      • Central European Russia
      • East European Russia
      • Krym
      • South European Russia
      • Ukraine
    • Middle Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Netherlands
      • Poland
      • Switzerland
    • Northern Europe
      • Denmark
      • Great Britain
    • Southeastern Europe
      • Albania
      • Bulgaria
      • Greece
      • Italy
      • Romania
      • Sicilia
      • Turkey-in-Europe
      • Yugoslavia
    • Southwestern Europe
      • Corse
      • France
      • Portugal
      • Sardegna
      • Spain
  • Northern America
    • Eastern Canada
      • New Brunswick
      • Nova Scotia
      • Ontario
      • Prince Edward Island
      • Québec
    • Mexico
      • Mexico Northeast
      • Mexico Northwest
    • North-central U.S.A.
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Kansas
      • Minnesota
      • Missouri
      • Nebraska
      • Oklahoma
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Northeastern U.S.A.
      • Connecticut
      • Indiana
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New York
      • Ohio
      • Pennsylvania
      • Rhode Island
      • Vermont
      • West Virginia
    • Northwestern U.S.A.
      • Colorado
      • Idaho
      • Montana
      • Oregon
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
    • South-central U.S.A.
      • Texas
    • Southeastern U.S.A.
      • Alabama
      • Arkansas
      • Delaware
      • District Of Columbia
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maryland
      • Mississippi
      • North Carolina
      • South Carolina
      • Tennessee
      • Virginia
    • Southwestern U.S.A.
      • California
      • Nevada
      • Utah
    • Western Canada
      • British Columbia
      • Saskatchewan
  • Pacific
    • Northwestern Pacific
      • Marianas
      • Wake Island
    • Southwestern Pacific
      • New Caledonia
      • Niue
  • Southern America
    • Brazil
      • Brazil South
      • Brazil Southeast
    • Northern South America
      • Venezuela
    • Southern South America
      • Argentina Northeast
      • Uruguay

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!
Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000868064
Florida Plant Atlas 203
Flora of Alabama 4802
Canadensys 7633
USDA Plants ERMI5
Tropicos 25511023
INPN 96613
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:401317-1
The Plant List kew-412851
Plantarium 14710
Open Tree Of Life 724655
NCBI Taxonomy 110886
NBN Atlas NBNSYS0000033574
Nature Serve 2.129621
IPNI 401317-1
iNaturalist 76855
GBIF 2705449
WisFlora 3547
EPPO ERAPO
EOL 1114377
Calflora (Californian flora) 3037
USDA GRIN 301035
Wikipedia Eragrostis_minor

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Study of medicinal plants used in ethnoveterinary medical system in riverine areas of Punjab, Pakistan Umair M, Altaf M, Ahsan T, Bussmann RW, Abbasi AM, Gatasheh MK, Elrobh M J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 07-May-2024
PMCID:PMC11077875
doi:10.1186/s13002-024-00686-9
PMID:38715115
Evaluating tramway infrastructure on biodiversity and ecosystem services Moroń D, Beim M, Gudowska A, Angeoletto F, Celary W, Cwajna A, Indykiewicz P, Lenda M, Marjańska E, Menzel A, Skórka P, Tryjanowski P Sci Rep 24-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11043073
doi:10.1038/s41598-024-59460-2
PMID:38658624
Plant-related Philistine ritual practices at biblical Gath Frumin S, Maeir AM, Eniukhina M, Dagan A, Weiss E Sci Rep 12-Feb-2024
PMCID:PMC10861565
doi:10.1038/s41598-024-52974-9
PMID:38347005
Bacterial diversity of herbal rhizospheric soils in Ordos desert steppes under different degradation gradients Guo Y, Zhang D, Qi W PeerJ 01-Nov-2023
PMCID:PMC10625353
doi:10.7717/peerj.16289
PMID:37927778
Novel Hyperspectral Analysis of Thin-Layer Chromatographic Plates—An Application to Fingerprinting of 70 Polish Grasses Wróbel-Szkolak J, Cwener A, Komsta Ł Molecules 26-Apr-2023
PMCID:PMC10179984
doi:10.3390/molecules28093745
PMID:37175155
Evaluating the stability of artificial sand-binding vegetation by combining statistical methods and a neural network model Fu T, Li X Sci Rep 21-Apr-2023
PMCID:PMC10121651
doi:10.1038/s41598-023-33879-5
PMID:37085568
Genome size variation and polyploidy prevalence in the genus Eragrostis are associated with the global dispersal in arid area Hutang GR, Tong Y, Zhu XG, Gao LZ Front Plant Sci 13-Mar-2023
PMCID:PMC10040770
doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1066925
PMID:36993864
Succession of a natural desert vegetation community after long-term fencing at the edge of a desert oasis in northwest China Zhang Y, Wang G, Gou Q, Zhang Y, Liu J, Gao M Front Plant Sci 17-Feb-2023
PMCID:PMC9982111
doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1091446
PMID:36875571
Ecology and social behavior of the social vole Microtus socialis: A generalized review Gromov VS Curr Zool 13-Oct-2022
PMCID:PMC10591148
doi:10.1093/cz/zoac081
PMID:37876640
Connecting nutritional facts with the traditional ranking of ethnobotanically used fodder grasses by local farmers in Central Punjab of Pakistan Harun N, Chaudhry AS, Shaheen S, Ahmad M, Sahan Z, Bashir H Sci Rep 19-Jul-2022
PMCID:PMC9296496
doi:10.1038/s41598-022-15937-6
PMID:35853918
Diversity of Useful Plants in Cabo Verde Islands: A Biogeographic and Conservation Perspective Duarte MC, Gomes I, Catarino S, Brilhante M, Gomes S, Rendall A, Moreno Â, Fortes AR, Ferreira VS, Baptista I, Dinis H, Romeiras MM Plants (Basel) 15-May-2022
PMCID:PMC9144021
doi:10.3390/plants11101313
PMID:35631738
Phylogenetic, ecological and intraindividual variability patterns in grass phytolith shape Hošková K, Neustupa J, Pokorný P, Pokorná A Ann Bot 29-Nov-2021
PMCID:PMC8835630
doi:10.1093/aob/mcab143
PMID:34849559
Influence of Habitat Types on Diversity and Species Composition of Urban Flora—A Case Study in Serbia Glišić M, Jakovljević K, Lakušić D, Šinžar-Sekulić J, Vukojičić S, Tabašević M, Jovanović S Plants (Basel) 25-Nov-2021
PMCID:PMC8704744
doi:10.3390/plants10122572
PMID:34961043
Functional diversity outperforms taxonomic diversity in revealing short-term trampling effects Li W, He S, Cheng X, Zhang M Sci Rep 23-Sep-2021
PMCID:PMC8460817
doi:10.1038/s41598-021-98372-3
PMID:34556737
Pest categorisation of Phenacoccus solenopsis Bragard C, Di Serio F, Gonthier P, Jaques Miret JA, Justesen AF, Magnusson CS, Milonas P, Navas‐Cortes JA, Parnell S, Potting R, Reignault PL, Thulke H, Van der Werf W, Civera AV, Yuen J, Zappalà L, Gregoire J, Malumphy C, Campese C, Czwienczek E, Kertesz V, Maiorano A, MacLeod A EFSA J 18-Aug-2021
PMCID:PMC8371560
doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6801
PMID:34429782

Phytochemical Profile Top

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