Eragrostis brizantha

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous, or sparsely hairy. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 4–50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glandular. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 2–15 cm long; 2–4.5 mm wide; glandular. Leaf-blade margins glandular.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 2–11 cm long; 1–6 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches glandular.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 8–15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 3–5 mm long; 2.2–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla deciduous; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma orbicular; 2 mm long; membranous; glandular on veins; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea keels tuberculate (glandular); eciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1–1.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 1 mm long. Embryo 0.4 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr S Afr 1993.

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