Eragrostis arenicola

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 15–35 cm long; firm, or wiry. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 2–10 cm long; 1–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 6–18 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending. Panicle branches eglandular, or glandular; without exudate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–14 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 2–4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1–1.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1–1.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 1–1.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein without distinctive roughness, or scaberulous. Lemma apex obtuse; muticous, or mucronate (obscurely). Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.3–0.4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Palea hairs 0.4–0.5mm, more than width of floret.

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