Eragrostis lateritica

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 1.5–5 cm long; 1.5–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate-ciliate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; oblong, or ovate; continuous; 3–8 cm long; 1–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1 -nate; 1–1.5 cm long; bearing 1–11 fertile spikelets on each lower branch.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–40 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 3–15 mm long; 1.5–2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.8–1.2 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.66–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5–1.8 mm long; membranous; grey; shiny; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr Madag 1997.

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