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.

Ectrosia blakei

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 10–45 cm long; 1–4 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or involute, or convolute; 5–10 cm long; 1–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; pubescent, or pilose; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle straight, or nodding.

Panicle open; oblong; 5–10 cm long; 4–8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading, or reflexed; 1 -nate; simple; 0.5–1.5 cm long; bearing 1–7 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle axis pubescent, or pilose. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 0.8–2 mm long; pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 15–20 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes 1–2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.5–5 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined.

FLORETS Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla; increasing in size upwards; with the lowest dissimilar. Lowest fertile lemma ovate; 0.8 length of adjacent lemma; muticous. Fertile lemma lanceolate; dorsally straight along back; 6–11 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3(–5) -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma surface asperulous; rough on veins. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–18 mm long overall. Palea bowed outwards; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate. Palea apex obtuse. Apical sterile florets 4–5 in number; barren; separate; rudimentary. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 20–34 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.2–0.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.5–2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. CEH.

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