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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Eragrostis glischra

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths coriaceous; glossy; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Glands sunken crateriform. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glandular; viscid; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades tortuous; flat, or involute; (2–)3.5–9(–13) cm long; 2.5–5 mm wide; glandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic, or ovate; dense; 3–10 cm long; 2.5–4.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches glandular; viscid; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 2–3 mm long; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–20 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 5–10 mm long; 3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla deciduous; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong, or ovate; 1.8–2 mm long; membranous; purple; glandular on veins; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Palea 2 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate; with hairs 0.6 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Launert 1993.

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