Eragrostis scopelophila

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous. Glands sunken crateriform and annular. Culms decumbent; 50–100 cm long; wiry. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glandular. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 12–25 cm long; 2–5 mm wide; glandular.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 6–12 cm long; 4–9 cm wide. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels glandular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–20 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate, or orbicular; laterally compressed; 3–10 mm long; 2.2–3.3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above; with the distal florets disarticulating separately. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; eglandular, or glandular; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.5 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; eglandular, or glandular; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2 mm long; membranous; mid-green, or dark green; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous; eciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1.3–1.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong, or orbicular; 0.5–0.7 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr S Afr 1993.

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