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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 tenuifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous. Basal innovations flabellate. Culms erect; 10–70 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 4–30 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 5–20 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; eglandular, or glandular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–16 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 4–16 mm long; 1–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5–1 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.8–1.4 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla (initially), or divergent; free at tip (serrate in outline). Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 1.6–2.5 mm long; membranous; dark green; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.5–0.9 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; laterally compressed (strongly); 1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, and north-central. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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