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.

Eleusine jaegeri

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes short. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect; 40–130 cm long. Culm-internodes elliptical in section. Lateral branches fastigiate. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.15–0.25 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 20–45 cm long; 4–7 mm wide; stiff; light green. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–13; digitate; distant; spreading, or ascending; unilateral; 4–17 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3–8 cm long. Rhachis wingless; flattened. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–2.8 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 3.1–4.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong in profile; 3.6–5.2 mm long; membranous; dark green; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein simple. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins eciliate, or pilose (obscurely). Lemma apex acute. Palea 0.9–1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; ellipsoid, or oblong; dorsally compressed; trigonous; 1.6–1.7 mm long; black; rugose.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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