Ectrosia appressa

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 25–50 cm long; 2–4 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths loose; striately veined; glabrous on surface, or hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 7–13 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle pilose above.

Panicle contracted; linear; continuous, or interrupted; 7–20 cm long; 1.5–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–2 cm long. Panicle axis terete; glabrous. Panicle branches scabrous; glabrous, or pilose.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 0.5–1.2 mm long; ciliate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; 1.2–1.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes curved; 1.5 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 0.75–1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–3.6 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets increasing in size upwards. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally straight along back; 4.2–6.3 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma surface smooth, or asperulous. Lemma apex acute, or acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.3–4.7 mm long overall. Palea 1.3–2.6 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets 4–5 in number; barren; rudimentary. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 7–9 mm long.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; isodiametric; 1.4 mm long; obtuse.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Blake.

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