Eragrostis infecunda

HABIT Perennial. Rootstock evident. Rhizomes elongated. Stolons present. Culms 35–70 cm long. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades involute, or convolute; 3–8 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or elliptic; dense; 6–10 cm long; 2–4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1–3.5 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–11 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 5–11.5 mm long; 1.5–2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes 0.8–1.8 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas; smooth, or scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent, or deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.3–4 mm long; 0.66–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 1.3–1.4 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.5–3.3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute, or acuminate. Palea readily splitting down midline. Palea keels smooth. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Fl S Austral 1994.

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