GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Ectrosia scabrida

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 6–40 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs pubescent, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 6–12 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle glabrous, or pubescent above.

Panicle contracted, or spiciform; oblong; interrupted; 2.5–9 cm long; 2.5–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, or spreading; 0.5–1.5 cm long. Panicle axis glabrous, or pilose. Panicle branches pubescent, or pilose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 0.5 mm long; pubescent, or ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–11 mm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes 1.5 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.7–2.3 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.4–3 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent; increasing in size upwards; with the lowest dissimilar. Lowest fertile lemma oblong; 0.9 length of adjacent lemma; mucronate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; dorsally straight along back; 3.5–4.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.5–5 mm long overall. Palea 2–5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets 3–6 in number; barren; separate; rudimentary. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 5–10 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.2–0.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 1–1.8 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. CEH.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.