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.

Eremochloa ciliaris

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–80 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous, or bearded. Leaf-sheaths keeled. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 4–11 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins glabrous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; arcuate; unilateral; 2–6 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; flattened; glabrous on surface, or pilose on surface; ciliate on margins. Rhachis internodes clavate; 2.5–3 mm long. Rhachis internode tip crateriform.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1 in the cluster. Companion sterile spikelets pedicelled; 1 in the cluster. Pedicels narrowly elliptic; foliaceous; 2.5–3 mm long.

STERILE SPIKELETS Companion sterile spikelets represented by barren pedicels.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed strongly; acute; 3.5–4.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus glabrous, or pilose; base truncate; with central boss; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; 2-keeled; wingless; 7 -veined. Lower glume primary vein pectinately ciliate, or pectinately spinose. Lower glume surface flat; glabrous, or pilose. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; 1-keeled; winged on keel; winged below; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 3.5 mm long; hyaline; ciliate on margins; obtuse. Palea of lower sterile floret 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 0.1–0.8 length of lemma; hyaline.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5–2.25 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Bor.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Glume spines terete, 2–3mm.

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