First report of Ehrharta erecta in Ireland
Ehrharta erecta (Poaceae) is a grass species native to Southern and Eastern Africa. The species was once considered a suitable species for the stabilization of sand dunes due to its vigorous growth and as a result it has been introduced into a number of regions of the world (including the USA (California and Hawaii), Australia and New Zealand) where it has since become an invasive alien species. Within the EPPO region, the species is recorded as naturalised in Italy. In 2017, E. erecta was collected and identified from a population growing along a small pathway within an urban environment near the coastal area in Skerries County Fingal, Ireland. The population extended up to 300 m along both sides of the pathway and in some locations the grass completely covered an area of up to 10 m in length and 1 m wide. E. erecta has been reported as being present in bird seed though the origin of the population in Ireland is unclear.
Sources
Anonymous (2018) Panic veldt grass (Ehrharta erecta L.), a grass new to Ireland. Irish naturalists’ Journal 36, 30-31.