Eragrostis fosbergii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths green, or purple. Culms geniculately ascending; 60–100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs scanty, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades 40–60 cm long; 5–10 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; 20–40 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches stiff; scaberulous; bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5(–10) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; chartaceous; light green, or dark green; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Pacific: north-central.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Wagner 1993.

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