Ehrharta melicoides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths scarious; not bulbous, or thickened and forming a bulb; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms 30–70 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades convolute; 5–25 cm long; 2–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic, or ovate; 10–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 4–9 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3.5–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.9 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets dissimilar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 0.66 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined; smooth; obtuse. Lemma of upper sterile floret elliptic; basally auriculate; 1.5 length of lower sterile floret; cartilaginous; smooth; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3.5–4 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. 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.