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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Eragrostis spicigera

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Butt sheaths glabrous; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long; wiry. Culm-internodes eglandular. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths eglandular; without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 5–10 cm long; 0.5–0.7 mm wide; eglandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 3–6.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Panicle branches eglandular; glabrous in axils; with insignificant pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5–2.5(–10) mm long; eglandular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 8–12 mm long; 3–3.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or oblong; 2.5–2.8 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 3–4 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 florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 3.5–4 mm long; cartilaginous; grey; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels puberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 2.6 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Cope 1996.

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