Eragrostis secundiflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30–75 cm long. Leaf-sheaths outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 10–15 cm long; 2–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear to elliptic; dense; 5–30 cm long; 1–15 cm wide; with spikelets clumped along branches. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 1–14 cm long. Panicle branches bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5–1 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 10–24 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 6–20 mm long; 3–5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla deciduous; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 1.5–2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile florets recurved at tip. Fertile lemma ovate; 1.6–2.4 mm long; 1.2 mm wide; membranous; red; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels thickened; ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION North America: northwest USA, north-central USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr Texas 1994.

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