Eragrostis brownii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths 3–4 cm long. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades 10–25 cm long; 1–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 5–15 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1 -nate; 2–7 cm long. Panicle branches stiff; scaberulous.

Spikelets ascending, or spreading; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 10–15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–5.5 mm long; 1.6–2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above, or becoming fragile after lemmas shed; with the distal florets disarticulating separately.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1–1.7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.5–1.7 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.7–2 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 0.7 mm long; red.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central.

NOTES Eragrostideae. =Eragrostis benthamii. Wagner 1993.

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