Eragrostis superba in Egoli Granite Grassland

Eragrostis superba, or saw-tooth lovegrass is is a tufted perennial reaching 1 m in height. The plumes become 30 cm long. It flowers from late winter to autumn. The seeds are heart-shaped, flattened with saw-toothed margins.

This is a quick-growing, palatable grass used as a drought resistant pasture and to resow bare patches of veld.

The plant grows in the northeast of South Africa, the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and north of the Vaal River. This plant was photographed in the Rhenosterspruit Nature Conservancy.

The habitat is sandy or stony flats, often in disturbed places, but will grow in clay grounds as well. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Van Oudtshoorn, et al, 1991; http://redlist.sanbi.org).