Ehrharta eburnea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent, or elongated. Butt sheaths purple. Culms erect; 20–50 cm long; swollen at the base; forming an elongated corm. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 4–15 cm long; 2–5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 12–32 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; linear; secund; 6–13 cm long; 1–2.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–13 mm long; 3–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 3–4 mm long; 0.33 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 8–11 mm long; 1 length of fertile lemma; coriaceous; 1-keeled; ribbed; puberulous; ciliate on midvein; ciliolate on margins; acute; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret elliptic; 9–13 mm long; 1.1 length of lower sterile floret; coriaceous; ribbed; pubescent; ciliate on midvein; ciliolate on margins; acute; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 1 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 8–11 mm long; coriaceous; keeled. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 6.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Ehrharteae. Gibbs-Russell.

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