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 vallsiana

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 13.5–28 cm long; 2–5 -noded. Culm-internodes eglandular, or glandular (below nodes). Lateral branches ample. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; eglandular, or glandular (on midvein); outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.7–0.8 mm long. Leaf-blades 1–6 cm long; 1.5–3.2 mm wide; eglandular, or glandular (on midvein). Leaf-blade surface smooth; pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary. Peduncle eglandular, or glandular (above).

Panicle open; oblong; dense; 8–9.5 cm long; 2.5–5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1 -nate; 2–3 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis smooth, or scaberulous, or tuberculate; with scattered hairs, or glabrous. Panicle branches glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels glandular; smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 9–28 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 3.9–9.5 mm long; 1–1.1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.8–1.1 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.8–1.3 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma ovate; 1–1.2 mm long; 0.3–0.6 mm wide; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute. Palea 0.8–1 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above; with 0.66 of their length adorned. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 2; 0.2 mm long; purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; without sulcus; 0.4–0.6 mm long; light brown; reticulate; obtuse. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Boechat & L-W 2003.

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