Ehrharta calycina

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes absent, or elongated. Culms 30–70 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 5–20 cm long; 1–10 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or oblong; equilateral, or nodding; 5–25 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 4–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume oblong; 4–7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex erose; obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 4–7 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets dissimilar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 4–7 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of spikelet; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 5–7 -veined; smooth; hispidulous; acute. Lemma of upper sterile floret elliptic; basally auriculate; 4–8 mm long; 1.1–1.2 length of lower sterile floret; coriaceous; smooth; pilose; obtuse; mucronate. Fertile lemma ovate; 3.5–7.5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 7 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex truncate. Palea 0.66 length of lemma; hyaline; 1 -veined; 1-keeled.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; obovate; membranous. Anthers 6; 3–4 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: north-central. South America: southern South America.

NOTES Ehrharteae. WDC.

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