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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 oligostachya

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms erect; 15–30 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 filiform; involute; 1.5–12 cm long; 1 mm wide; eglandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising (2–)3(–4) fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; oblong; 2–3 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Panicle branches eglandular; glabrous in axils; with insignificant pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 5–15 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 20–58 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; subterete; 6–17 mm long; 4–5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2–2.2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 2–2.2 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma ovate, or orbicular; 2.4–2.7 mm long; membranous; yellow and purple; suffused with last colour; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate; with hairs 0.2–0.3 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.8 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; orbicular; dorsally compressed; 1–1.1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Cope 1996.

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