Ehrharta acuminata

HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 6–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades 1–12 cm long; 1–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes, or comprising only a few spikelets.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 2–5 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 2–10 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing contiguous, or lax.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.6 mm long; 0.33 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1.7 mm long; 0.15–0.25 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets dissimilar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 5–8 mm long; 0.75 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined; ribbed; scabrous; rough on veins; acute; mucronate. Lemma of upper sterile floret oblong; 6–10 mm long; 1.3 length of lower sterile floret; coriaceous; scabrous and ribbed; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 5–7 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 7–9 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex obtuse.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 4; 2.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Ehrharteae. WDC 1997.

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