Eriochloa distachya

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 25–60 cm long; 1 mm diam. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hirsute. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.4–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 2–13 cm long; 2–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle 5–12 cm long; hirsute above.

Racemes 1–3; single, or paired, or borne along a central axis; arcuate; unilateral; 1–2 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–4 cm long. Rhachis angular; villous on surface. Spikelet packing adaxial; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; unequal; 1 mm long; villous; hairy all along but hairs longer above.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus globular; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; 0.3 mm long; glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface villous. Upper glume apex acute; muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; 3 -veined; villous; acute; muticous. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.9–2.3 mm long; indurate; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.2–1.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or oblong; 1.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Costa Rica 1993.

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