Eragrostis botryodes

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms geniculately ascending; 20–90 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 10–30 cm long; 2–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 4–20 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–20 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 3–7(–12) mm long; 1.5–2.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.8–1.7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.8–1.7 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent; imbricate to tip. Fertile lemma ovate; 1.7–2.5 mm long; membranous; dark green; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.5–1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.7 mm long.

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

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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