3. Eragrostis cilianensis (All.) Vignolo ex Janch. (stink grass)

Pl. 147 e, f; Map 591

E. megastachya (Koeler) Link

Plants annual, forming tufts. Flowering stems 10–40 cm long, spreading or ascending from sometimes spreading bases, occasionally erect, with a ring of small, warty, resinous glands (appearing as irregular bumps or shallow pits) below the nodes, otherwise glabrous. Leaf sheaths usually with a tuft or line of hairs at the tip and with scattered, small, warty, resinous glands, the ligule 0.4–0.9 mm long. Leaf blades 3–20 cm long, 2–6 mm wide, flat or with the margins loosely inrolled, with scattered, small, warty, resinous glands along the margins and sometimes also the midvein, otherwise glabrous. Inflorescences relatively dense, broad panicles 3–15 cm long, ovate to oblong in outline, the branches ascending to spreading, the axis and branches glabrous or less commonly with small tufts of hair in the axils of the main branches, sometimes also with scattered, small, warty, resinous glands. Spikelets 4–15(–25) mm long, 2–4 mm wide, short‑stalked, mostly spreading from the branches, with (5–)10–25(–40) perfect florets. Pattern of disarticulation beginning with the glumes, the lemmas shed with age, leaving the persistent paleas and rachilla. Lower glume 1.3–2.1 mm long, lanceolate, usually with small, warty, resinous glands along the midnerve. Upper glume 1.4–2.3 mm long, narrowly ovate, usually with small, warty, resinous glands along the midnerve. Lemmas 2.0–2.8 mm long, broadly elliptic‑ovate, sharply pointed at the tip, keeled (but otherwise more or less rounded on the back), the lateral nerves relatively conspicuous, usually with small, warty, resinous glands along the midnerve. Anthers 0.2–0.4 mm long. Fruits 0.4–0.7 mm long, elliptic in outline, not grooved, dark reddish brown. 2n=20, 40. June–October.

Introduced, scattered nearly throughout the state (native of Europe; introduced nearly throughout the New World). Banks of streams and rivers, rarely glades; also crop fields, fallow fields, pastures, gardens, cracks in sidewalks, ditches, roadsides, railroads, and open, disturbed areas.

This species is considered mildly toxic to livestock and presumably is not very palatable, as it spreads in overgrazed pastures (Steyermark, 1963). On fresh plants, the glands emit a disagreeable odor that has been compared to the odor of crushed cockroaches (Koch, 1974). The inflorescences are a distinctive grayish green color.