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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Eragrostis milnei

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths glabrous; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect; robust; 70–130 cm long. Culm-internodes eglandular. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths eglandular; without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 5–15(–20) cm long; 0.8–2 mm wide; eglandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 8–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches branching divaricately. Panicle branches eglandular; bearded in axils; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets spreading; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 6–22 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–18 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 6–13 mm long; 2.5–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.8–2.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.8–2.5 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma ovate; 2.5–3.2 mm long; membranous; grey; keeled; lightly keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1.2–1.6 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; concavo-convex; 1.1–1.8 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Cope 1996.

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