Eragrostis pilosa

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 8–70 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 2–20 cm long; 1–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic, or ovate; 4–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches whorled at lower nodes. Panicle branches eglandular; bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels eglandular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–14 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 3–7 mm long; 0.7–1.2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas, or retaining paleas (in temperate regions).

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–0.7 mm long; 0.5–0.7 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1 mm long; 0.6–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma ovate; 1–1.6 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.2–0.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; laterally compressed; plano-convex; 0.6–1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, 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.