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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Ehrharta stipoides

HABIT Perennial. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes short. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 30–75 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 2.5–25 cm long; 1–5(–10) mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle, or composed of racemes.

Panicle open; linear; effuse; equilateral, or nodding; 7–17 cm long. Primary panicle branches bearing 1–3 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches capillary.

Racemes single (reduced panicle).

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1–15 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 8–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus evident, or elongated; 0.1–2 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure (or minute, persistent).

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 5–10 mm long; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 5–7 -veined; scabrous; acuminate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 5–20 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret lanceolate; 8–12 mm long; 1.2–1.6 length of lower sterile floret; coriaceous; acuminate; awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 8–20 mm long. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7–10 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5–7 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma apex acute, or acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Palea linear; 0.75 length of lemma; membranous; thinner on margins; 1 -veined; 1-keeled. Palea keels ciliate.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Cleistogenes present.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south and western Indian ocean. Asia-tropical: India, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: south-central and north-central.

NOTES Ehrharteae. Vickery.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Callus of upper sterile floret glabrous.

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