Eragrostis triquetra

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Cataphylls evident. Butt sheaths glossy; pubescent. Culms slender; 16–30 cm long; 2–4 -noded. Culm-internodes eglandular. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths tight; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; wider than blade at the collar; eglandular; scaberulous; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3–0.5 mm long. Collar glabrous, or bearded. Leaf-blades curved, or flexuous; filiform; convolute; 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation prominent. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; pilose; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; eglandular; scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle eglandular.

Panicle contracted; elliptic; 6–10 cm long; 3–4.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1–2 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis eglandular. Panicle branches eglandular; scabrous; glabrous in axils, or pubescent in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.3–1.5 mm long; eglandular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 22–31 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed, or subterete; 5–13.5 mm long; 1–1.3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes zig-zag; 0.5 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1–1.3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels, or 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex emarginate, or obtuse to acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1–1.3 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels, or 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex emarginate, or obtuse to acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 1–1.8 mm long; membranous, or cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure, or distinct. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma apex emarginate, or obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Palea obovate, or oblanceolate; with flaps narrower than body; bowed outwards; membranous, or cartilaginous; 2 -veined. Palea keels adorned above. Palea apex obtuse; scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 2, or 3; 0.1–0.2 mm long; retained within floret, or eventually exserted.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong, or ovoid; trigonous (curved); stipitate; 0.3–0.6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Lazarides 1997.

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