Eragrostis ciliaris

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 5–60 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 2–12 cm long; 1–5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; linear, or oblong; continuous, or interrupted; 1–20 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 2–4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.7–1.2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.7–1.2 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 lemma elliptic, or oblong; 0.9–1.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate (at least a few hairs on upper lemmas). Lemma apex obtuse; muticous, or mucronate (obscurely). Palea keels tuberculate; ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 0.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.3–0.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: western Asia, Arabia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China. Pacific: southwestern, northwestern, and north-central. North America: south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Palea hairs 0.6–0.7mm, more than width of floret.

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