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.

Eriachne lanata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rootstock evident. Rhizomes absent, or short. Butt sheaths pilose, or woolly. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 45–60 cm long; wiry; 4–6 -noded. Culm-internodes striate; smooth, or scaberulous; distally glabrous, or hispid; with tubercle-based hairs. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent, or bearded. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths tight; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades curved, or flexuous; filiform; conduplicate; 2–3 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins ciliate; hairy at base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle glabrous.

Panicle open; oblong; 6–10 cm long; 2.5–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches profusely divided; branching dichotomously; 3–5 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; smooth; glabrous; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 5–10 mm long; tip widened.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 3.5–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus 0.3 mm long; bearded; acute.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2.6–5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; yellow, or purple; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.6–5 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; yellow, or purple; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; laterally compressed; 3.5–5 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface villous; hairy below. Lemma margins involute; ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1.6–1.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or obovoid; 1.5–2.5 mm long; obtuse. Embryo 0.2–0.33 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eriachneae. Lazarides 1995.

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