1. Eragrostis barrelieri Daveau (Mediterranean love grass)

Pl. 145 c, d; Map 589

Plants annual, forming tufts. Flowering stems 8–45 cm long, spreading or ascending from sometimes spreading bases, occasionally erect, with a row of small, warty, resinous glands (appearing as irregular bumps or shallow pits) below the nodes, these sometimes fused into a glandular ring, otherwise glabrous. Leaf sheaths usually with a tuft or line of hairs at the tip, otherwise glabrous, the ligule 0.3–0.7 mm long. Leaf blades 1–9 cm long, 1–5 mm wide, flat or with the margins inrolled, especially toward the tip, glabrous or roughened to hairy on the upper surface. Inflorescences relatively dense to open, broad panicles 3–18 cm long, ovate in outline, the branches ascending to spreading, the axis and branches glabrous or with small, warty, resinous glands below the nodes. Spikelets 5–11 mm long, 1.0–1.5 mm wide, mostly short‑stalked, mostly spreading from the branches, with 6–15 perfect florets. Pattern of disarticulation beginning with the glumes, then the lemmas and fruits shed, leaving the persistent paleas and rachilla. Lower glume 0.7–1.3 mm long, narrowly ovate, sometimes somewhat roughened along the midnerve. Upper glume 1.2–1.8 mm long, ovate, somewhat roughened along the midnerve. Lemmas 1.4–2.4 mm long, ovate, bluntly pointed at the tip, somewhat keeled, the lateral nerves relatively conspicuous, roughened on the midnerve. Anthers 0.2–0.4 mm long. Fruits 0.7–1.0 mm long, narrowly oblong in outline, not grooved, tan to reddish brown. 2n=60. August–October.

Introduced, known only from St. Louis (native of Europe; introduced in the southwestern U.S., Mexico, and Caribbean Islands). Railroads.

This species was reported by Mühlenbach (1979), based on specimens from the St. Louis railroad yards.