Weedy introduced annual from 4-24 inches tall. Flowering stems are erect or leaning, and lower stems are often sharply bent. Plants branch freely from the base, often forming dense bunches. The narrow leaves are 1-6 inches long and up to 1/4 inch wide. They are smooth except for small tufts of white hairs situated at the junction of the leaf base and sheath (collar). The flower cluster is a delicate open panicle (A) from 2-6 inches long. Main panicle branches are spreading. Secondary branches bearing the 6-13 flowered spikelets are pressed flat against the main branches making the spikelets rather inconspicuous (C).
Waste areas, roadsides, and fields. At Neale Woods, Carolina Lovegrass is uncommon along the edge of the parking lot for the Carl Jonas Interpretative Center. It has not been identified at Fontenelle Forest. Flowering occurs from July to September.
Stinkgrass (Eragrostis cilianensis) has a similar open panicle, but the larger, more conspicuous, grayish spikelets are spreading and not pressed flat against the main panicle branches.
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