Ehrharta villosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated; not obviously scaly; glabrous. Butt sheaths papery. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long; 2–5 mm diam.; woody; not swollen at the base. Culm-internodes solid. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades persistent, or deciduous at the ligule; involute; 1.5–13 cm long; 4–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by an unspecialized leaf-sheath, or an inflated leaf-sheath; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear; 4–26 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose, or simple.

Spikelets spreading; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; curved.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 11–18 mm long; 3–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated between basal sterile florets. Floret callus bearded.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 8–13 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 8–9 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 9–18 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5–9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 6–10 mm long; 1 length of fertile lemma; cartilaginous; 1-keeled; villous; acute; mucronate, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 0.5–3 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret elliptic; 6–10 mm long; 1 length of lower sterile floret; cartilaginous; villous; obtuse; mucronate, or awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 0.5–3 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 6–8 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma apex truncate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 6; 6–8.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis ovoid; 5.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. South America: southern South America.

NOTES Ehrharteae. Gibbs-Russell.

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