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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Eleusine coracana
HABIT Annual; caespitose. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect; 60–200 cm long; 5–20 mm diam. Culm-internodes elliptical in section. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths keeled; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 30–60 cm long; 6–12 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle glabrous, or pilose above (at raceme base).
Racemes 4–7; digitate; erect; linear, or oblong; incurved; unilateral; 3–8 cm long; 9–15 mm wide. Rhachis wingless; flattened. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; regular; 2 -rowed.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5–10 mm long; persistent on plant.
GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–5 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; winged on keel; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 3.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; winged on keel; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate in profile; 4 mm long; membranous; 3 -veined (excluding subsidiaries). Lemma midvein with contiguous subsidiary veins (3-veined). Lemma apex acute. Palea 0.9–1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.
FRUIT Caryopsis with free soft pericarp; orbicular; isodiametric; biconvex; exposed between gaping lemma and palea at maturity; 1.5–2.5 mm long; dark brown; rugose.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern and central. Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: western Asia, Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern and northwestern.
NOTES Eragrostideae. Fl Iran.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
