Eragrostis stolonifera

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–45 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 4–10 cm long; 1–4 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 5–10 cm long; 3–11 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 1 -nate; 3–8 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches stiff.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or oblong; laterally compressed; 3–6 mm long; 1.2–1.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1–1.2 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.8–1.7 mm long; 1.5–1.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5–2 mm long; membranous; grey; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr Madag 1997.

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