Eulalia annua

HABIT Annual. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms decumbent; 10–45 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.1 mm long. Leaf-blades 3–7 cm long; 1–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle pubescent above.

Racemes 2–3; paired, or digitate; 1.5–4 cm long; bearing 7–20 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs dark brown. Rhachis internodes linear; 1.8 mm long. Rhachis internode tip transverse.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; angular; 1.8 mm long; ciliate; with dark brown hairs.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.6 mm wide; falling entire; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus square; 0.3 mm long; pubescent; base obtuse; attached transversely.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; dark brown; 2-keeled; keeled above; 5 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume surface villous; hairy below. Lower glume hairs dark brown. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume hairs dark brown. Upper glume muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets with vestigial lower floret; barren; without significant palea. Fertile lemma oblong; 0.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.25 of lemma length; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 18–20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn glabrous. Palea absent or minute.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Andropogoneae. Simon 1994.

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