Eragrostis camerunensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms erect; 20–30 cm long; 1 mm diam.; wiry; 1–2 -noded. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades involute, or convolute; 3–7 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 3–9 cm long; 0.5–1.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–25 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3–12 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1 mm long; 0.6 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 1.4–1.7 mm long; membranous; grey; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.4–0.6 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.4–0.8 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical and west-central tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FWTA.

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