Eragrostis unioloides

HABIT Annual, or perennial; short-lived; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 7–50 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 3–10 cm long; 2–5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 5–12 cm long; 2–6 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–10 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 9–72 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 4–12 mm long; 2–3.4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.4 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.6 mm long; 1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; ovate in profile; 1.3 mm long; membranous; red, or purple; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 2; 0.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 0.7 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, northwestern, and north-central. North America: southeast USA. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, and western South America.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FWTA.

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