Eragrostis leptocarpa

HABIT Annual. Butt sheaths green, or purple. Culms slender; 30–60 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 10–15 cm long; 2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or elliptic; 15–23 cm long; 10 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending, or spreading, or drooping; whorled at lower nodes; moderately divided; 3–6 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; scaberulous; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–3.25 mm long; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 4–6 mm long; 0.75–1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes 0.5–0.75 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of upper glume; hyaline; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1–1.25 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.75–2 mm long; scarious; much thinner on margins; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent; close to margins. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex emarginate. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 0.75–1.25 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr C Austral 1994.

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