Ehrharta barbinodis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; knotty. Culms 30–90 cm long; woody. Culm-nodes bearded. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 1–10 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear, or lanceolate; 3–13 cm long. Primary panicle branches simple.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–13 mm long; 3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 6–8 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 8–10 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar, or dissimilar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 9–11 mm long; 0.75 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined; smooth; ciliate on midvein; ciliate on margins; acute; muticous, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 0–1 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret elliptic; 10–13 mm long; 1.3 length of lower sterile floret; cartilaginous; smooth, or rugose throughout; ciliate on midvein; ciliate on margins; acute; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 1–2 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 10–13 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Ehrharteae. Gr S Afr 1993.

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