Ehrharta erecta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms decumbent; 40–100 cm long; 4–6 -noded; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–7 mm long; entire, or lacerate; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades 4–20 cm long; 2–10(–15) mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or elliptic; equilateral, or nodding; 6–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 1–3 -nate; simple. Panicle branches stiff; smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 2–10 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; (3–)4–5.75(–6.8) mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous, or pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 3–3.6 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3(–5) -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.5–4.5 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex emarginate, or acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 5.4 mm long; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined; smooth, or rugose; rough above; glabrous, or hispidulous; obtuse. Lemma of upper sterile floret elliptic; basally auriculate; 6.5 mm long; 1.2 length of lower sterile floret; coriaceous; smooth, or rugose above; obtuse, or acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 2.5–5.5 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma lateral veins with cross-veins. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate; scaberulous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; obovate; membranous; 2-toothed; obtuse. Anthers 6; 1.5–2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and middle Atlantic ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia and China. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: north-central. North America: southwest USA.

NOTES Ehrharteae. FZ.

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