''Ehrharta erecta'' is a species of grass commonly known as panic veldtgrass. The species is native to

Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number o ...

and

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

. It is a documented

invasive species in the United States Invasive species are a significant threat to many native habitats and species of the United States and a significant cost to agriculture, forestry, and recreation. The term "invasive species" can refer to introduced/naturalized species, feral sp ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, Australia,

southern Europe Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Alba ...

, and China. The species is

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

, and normally grows to about 30 to 50 centimeters, although it may reach two meters in height. It will grow in a wide variety of habitats, even in shade. The species has been used for

birdseed Bird food or bird seed is food (often varieties of seeds, Nut (fruit), nuts, and/or Dried fruit, dried fruits) intended for consumption by wild and domestic birds. While most bird food is fed to commercial fowl (such as chicken or Turkey (bird) ...

, and in

ecological restoration Restoration ecology is the scientific study supporting the practice of ecological restoration, which is the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human interrupt ...

such as dune stabilization. However, it has become an invasive weed in many parts of the world. Flowering and seeding throughout the year, its seeds germinate rapidly, forming new plants in only a few weeks.

Distribution

It was first recorded in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

in 2017, but there are earlier records from

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

.Nash, D. 2018 Panic Velt Grass (Ehrharta erecta L.) a grass new to Ireland. ''Irish Naturalists' Journal'' 36(1) p.30-31

References

External links

Grass Manual Treatment of ''Ehrharta erecta''

Jepson Manual Treatment
— ''invasive plant species in California''.
USDA Plants Profile
— ''invasive plant species in the United States''.
UC CalPhoto gallery of ''Ehrharta erecta''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3758628 Oryzoideae Grasses of Africa Grasses of Asia Afromontane flora Taxa named by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Plants described in 1786