Eragrostis cilianensis
Stinkgrass
Field view of Eragrostis cilianensis, common name Stinkgrass. None stinks that I have collected. |
Stinkgrass is Eragrostis, a Lovegrass, and like all the Lovegrasses (16 species in Arizona), the spikelets are shaped like spear points. |
This view starts to show the spear point shapes. |
On the left is a full plant only about 8 inches tall. But some exceed two feet. |
The seedhead of a larger specimen. |
A fresh seedhead. Wet it to get the full aroma. |
In sunlight the seedheads look bright white soon after maturing. |
This shows the perfect little shapes of the 1/4 to 1/2 inch spikelets. |
The spikelets typically have about 20 florets but can have 40. Lovegrasses have no awns. |
While some Lovegrasses have longer spikelets with parallel sides, Stinkgrass has this spear-point shape. |
The spikelets are heftier than those of most other Lovegrasses. |
Roots of Stinkgrass. |
How to Identify Stinkgrass
Eragrostis cilianensis is a small to medium-sized annual grass that grows in every Arizona county. It is more common below 4,000 feet. The shape of the awnless spikelet tells you it is a Lovegrass, and this one turns white soon after maturing. The spikelets are larger and more crowded than most other Lovegrasses. They say the smell is a diagnostic feature but I have yet to notice an odor.
Similar Species
Stinkgrass and maybe Weeping Lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) are the only Lovegrasses that are easy to identify. Weeping
Lovegrass is a large bunchgrass that has extremely long,
thin, curved leaves.
Stinkgrass really stands out in a field. It soon turns bright white and is more robust, with more crowded spikelets, than
most other Lovegrasses.