Eragrostis urbaniana

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 12–22 cm long. Leaf-sheaths without keel; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades ascending, or spreading; flat, or involute; 1.5–6.5 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; oblong; continuous, or interrupted; 1–6 cm long; 0.8–1.2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 0.5–1 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.3–0.6 mm long; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 12–18 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; laterally compressed; 4–8 mm long; 1–2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.8–1 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse to acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 1–1.2 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse to acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 1.2–1.8 mm long; 0.6 mm wide; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels ciliate; with hairs 0.2–0.4 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Caribbean.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Harvey 1994.

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