Eragrostis bicolor

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths papery; pallid; glabrous, or sparsely hairy. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–60 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; loose, or effuse; 3–16 cm long; 2–8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 4–7 mm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above; with the distal florets disarticulating into irregular segments. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 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 ovate; 1.5 mm long; membranous; purple and yellow; tipped with last colour; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea keels approximate; smooth, or scaberulous; eciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.8–1.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr S Afr 1993.

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