|
Note - this takes you off
of our website |
GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Eragrostis leptotricha
HABIT Perennial; short-lived; caespitose. Butt sheaths pilose; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Glands sunken crateriform. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long; wiry. Culm-internodes eglandular. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; eglandular, or glandular; without keel; pilose. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades involute; 6–30 cm long; 1–2.5 mm wide; eglandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; elliptic, or oblong; effuse; 16–25 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; eglandular; bearded in axils; with insignificant pulvini.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 1–2.5 mm long.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 1.4–2 mm long; 0.8–1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or oblong; 0.8–1.2 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 obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 0.8–1.2 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.
FLORETS Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma elliptic; 0.9–1.2 mm long; membranous; grey; without keel, or keeled; lightly keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma margins pilose. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.6–0.8 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.
NOTES Eragrostideae. Cope 1996.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
