GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

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

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

Eragrostis punctiglandulosa

HABIT Annual, or perennial; short-lived. Butt sheaths glabrous. Glands sunken crateriform. Culms erect; 40–80 cm long. Culm-internodes eglandular, or glandular. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths eglandular, or glandular; without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 8–15 cm long; 1.5–2.5 mm wide; eglandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic, or ovate; effuse; 18–22 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous; eglandular; glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils; with insignificant pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–16 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 6.5–9.5 mm long; 1.3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5–1.5 mm long; 0.33–0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.5–2 mm long; 0.33 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally straight along back; 1.4–1.8 mm long; membranous; grey; glandular on veins; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute, or apiculate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous, or tuberculate (glandular). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.5–1.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or oblong; 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.