Eragrostis deccanensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 4–12 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle spiciform; oblong; 3–8 cm long; 1.5 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 10–16 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; 3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.2 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 2 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 0.6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Eragrostideae. WDC 1994.

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