Eragrostis leersiiformis

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–40 cm long; 2–5 -noded. Culm-nodes brown. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 3–17 cm long; 2–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic, or obovate; effuse; 6–17 cm long; 2–9 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 2–10 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3–5 mm long; 1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret, or elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 0.1–0.3 mm long; 0.25–0.4 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 0.4–0.7 mm long; 0.25–0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate, or orbicular; 1.5 mm long; 1.4–1.7 mm wide; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea bowed outwards. Palea keels contiguous above a sulcus; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.16 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr S Afr 1993.

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