Eragrostis bahamensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–25 cm long; wiry. Leaf-sheath oral hairs woolly. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.4 mm long. Leaf-blades curved; involute; 5–8 cm long; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; shorter than basal leaves.

Panicle open; linear; 5–8 cm long; 0.7–1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches simple. Panicle axis glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–2 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–20 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 5–9 mm long; 2–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.2 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.8 mm long; 1.6 mm wide; cartilaginous; shiny; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 0.8 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Harvey 1994.

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