Eragrostis humbertii

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 5–15 cm long; 3 -noded. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs woolly. Ligule absent. Leaf-blades convolute; 2.5–5 cm long; 1–3 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle glomerate; linear; 1.5–6 cm long; 0.4–0.8 cm wide. Panicle axis hirsute (woolly).

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 11 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4–5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.3–0.4 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.8 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.2 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 1.8 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1.2 mm long. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Eragrostideae. A. Camus 2001.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Palea hairs 0.6–0.7mm, more than width of floret.

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