Eragrostis cassa

HABIT Perennial. Culms 60–80 cm long; 5–6 -noded. Culm-internodes terete, or channelled. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; wider than blade at the collar; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute, or convolute; 1.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 16–32 cm long; 4–8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 5–10 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 14–18 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 5–7 mm long; 3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes curved; 0.1–0.2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.8–1 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous, or cartilaginous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1–1.4 mm long; 0.5–0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous, or cartilaginous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; persisting on inflorescence. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to fertile lemma. Fertile lemma ovate, or orbicular; dorsally convex along back; 2 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins midway between midvein and margin. Lemma surface smooth, or granulose. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea ovate, or orbicular; 2 -veined. Palea keels extending to apex; thickened (below); winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate; adorned all along. Palea apex obtuse; ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.4–0.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong, or ovoid; stipitate; 0.6–0.7 mm long. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis and palea.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Lazarides 1997.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Palea flaps equal body.

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