Eragrostis curvula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths coriaceous; yellow; distinctly ribbed; pubescent. Culms erect; 30–120 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; flat, or convolute; 10–30 cm long; 1–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate, or ovate; 6–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches not whorled, or whorled at lower nodes. Panicle branches glabrous in axils, or pubescent in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–13 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 4–10 mm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; tough throughout, or fragile above; with the distal florets disarticulating separately, or disarticulating into irregular segments.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–1.8 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.5–2.2 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 1.8–2.6 mm long; membranous; grey; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea keels smooth, or scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.8–1.1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.7 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: north-central. North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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