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Descriptions

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

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

Eragrostiella bifaria

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths herbaceous; distinctly ribbed; glabrous; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 23–56 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.4–0.6 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 4–16 cm long; 0.6–2.1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; erect; unilateral; 8–22 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 9–50 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; straight, or curved; laterally compressed; 6–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above; with the distal florets falling as a whole.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1.7–6 mm long; 0.9–1.5 length of upper glume; cartilaginous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume oblong, or ovate; 1.8–4 mm long; 0.9–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; cartilaginous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets imbricate to tip. Fertile lemma ovate; 1.9–2.6 mm long; cartilaginous; dark green, or grey; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea ovate; 0.8–0.9 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate. Palea apex entire; obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; isodiametric; trigonous; 0.5–0.6 mm long. Embryo 0.3 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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