Eragrostis sororia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or rambling; 40–70 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; 1.5 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.25 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or oblong; interrupted; 5–20 cm long; 2–8 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Panicle axis scabrous; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile, or pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 13–38(–64) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4–12 mm long; 2.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above; with the distal florets disarticulating separately.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.5–2.3 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2–2.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute. Palea 0.75–0.8 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

FRUIT Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Fl NSW 1994.

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