Eragrostis fallax

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls evident. Butt sheaths glossy; glabrous. Culms 60–90 cm long; 3–6 -noded. Culm-internodes terete, or elliptical in section; purple; eglandular. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tight; eglandular; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2–0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 15–30 cm long; 2–5 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; eglandular; scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; terminal, or terminal and axillary. Peduncle eglandular.

Panicle open; elliptic; dense, or loose; 10–20 cm long; 4–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 2–5 cm long; naked below, or bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis eglandular. Panicle branches eglandular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled. Pedicels 0.3–12 mm long; eglandular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 11–56 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; laterally compressed, or subterete; acute, or acuminate; 10–33 mm long; 2–2.3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes clavate; zig-zag; 0.6–0.7 mm long; obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1.3–1.8 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous, or cartilaginous; without keels, or 1-keeled; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1.8–2.6 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous, or cartilaginous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; gibbous; 2.3–3.3 mm long; membranous, or cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; keeled; 3(–5) -veined. Lemma lateral veins midway between midvein and margin. Lemma apex emarginate, or acute, or acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Palea elliptic, or oblanceolate; with flaps narrower than body; bowed outwards; 0.5–0.75 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea keels thickened; scaberulous. Palea apex truncate, or obtuse; ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.2–0.3 mm long; retained within floret, or eventually exserted.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or oblong, or ovoid; isodiametric; 0.4–0.6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Lazarides 1997.

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