Eragrostis plurigluma

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 60–100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades involute, or convolute; 25–45 cm long; 1–2.5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; effuse; 10–30 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 basal sterile florets; 8–14 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 6–7.5 mm long; 3.8–4.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.2–1.6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.2–1.6 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; separately deciduous. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume. Fertile florets divergent; imbricate to tip. Fertile lemma ovate; 3 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; isodiametric; 1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FWTA.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Palea hairs 0.2–0.4mm.

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