Eragrostis tremula

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–100 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 4–20 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins eglandular. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 7–30 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous; eglandular; glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; eglandular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 10–60 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 5–25 mm long; 1.5–2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.8–1.2 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.2–1.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets divergent; imbricate to tip. Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5–1.7 mm long; membranous; purple; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct; midway between midvein and margin. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 2; 0.3–0.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid, or orbicular; 0.4–0.6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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