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.

Eragrostis uzondoiensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 18–30 cm long. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.25 mm long. Leaf-blades aciculate; convolute; 8–11 cm long; 0.8–1.2 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with 4 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides; hispid; densely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above.

Panicle open; linear, or lanceolate; 12–17 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 3–4 cm long. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches scaberulous; pubescent in axils; with insignificant pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; flexuous; 3.5–4 mm long; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 3.9–5 mm long; 1.3–1.8 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–1.3 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; light brown; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.4–1.5 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; light brown; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex entire, or erose; obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 1.7–1.8 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma surface scaberulous; hispid. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels ciliate; with hairs 0.5–0.6 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; truncate. Anthers 3; 0.7–0.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Sanchez-Ken 2007.

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