Eragrostis speciosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glaucous. Culms erect; slender; 30–90 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 15–25 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear, or oblong; continuous, or interrupted; 7–10 cm long; 1.2–2.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 5–9 cm long. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 10–110(–145) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 7–33 mm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 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 lanceolate, or ovate; 1.7–2 mm long; membranous; grey; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent; close to margins. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 0.33–0.5 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 0.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr C Austral 1994.

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