Eragrostis macilenta

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 7–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths eglandular. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 2–20 cm long; 2–5 mm wide; flaccid; light green. Leaf-blade margins eglandular.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic, or ovate; effuse; 3–35 cm long. Primary panicle branches not whorled, or whorled at lower nodes (rarely). Panicle branches eglandular.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 2–12 mm long; eglandular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–14 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3–6 mm long; 1–2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.1–1.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 1.1–1.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent (at 45 degrees); free at tip. Fertile lemma orbicular; ovate in profile; 1.3–1.6 mm long; membranous; mid-green, or dark green, or black; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.3–0.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 0.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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