Eragrostis filicaulis

HABIT Perennial. Cataphylls evident. Butt sheaths glossy. Culms slender; 11–60 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes eglandular. Leaf-sheaths tight; as wide as blade at the collar; eglandular; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2–0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades straight, or curled, or flexuous; filiform; conduplicate, or involute, or convolute; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose, or hirsute; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins eglandular.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle eglandular.

Panicle contracted, or spiciform; linear, or oblong; 5–13 cm long; 1.5–4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1–2 cm long. Panicle axis eglandular. Panicle branches eglandular; glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 14–38 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed, or subterete; 6.5–18 mm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes thickened; zig-zag; 0.4–0.5 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 1–1.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume linear, or lanceolate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels, or 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile florets free at tip (saw-toothed). Fertile lemma lanceolate; 1.4–1.7 mm long; membranous, or cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea oblong, or oblanceolate; with flaps narrower than body; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea keels falling well short of apex; scaberulous; adorned above. Palea apex emarginate; ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 0.2–0.3 mm long; purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp; ellipsoid, or ovoid, or orbicular; dorsally compressed; 0.3–0.5 mm long; pallid, or light brown; striate.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Lazarides 1997.

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