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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.
Eragrostiella brachyphylla
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect; 20–35 cm long; 2 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal; without demarcation between sheath and blade. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or bearded. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.7–1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 6–12.5 cm long; 1.5–3 mm wide; coriaceous; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse; simple, or apiculate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 1; single; erect; unilateral; 8–18 cm long; 5–7.5 mm wide. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; regular; 2 -rowed.
Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 10–15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 6–8 mm long; 1.5–2.75 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above; with the distal florets falling as a whole.
GLUMES Glumes lower persistent, upper deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1.5–2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume oblong, or ovate; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.
FLORETS Fertile florets imbricate to tip. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally straight along back; 1.75–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; pallid, or grey; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea ovate; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate. Palea surface glabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; isodiametric; 0.75 mm long.
DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.
NOTES Eragrostideae. Lazarides.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
