| Note - this takes you off
of our website |
GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Eragrostis vernix
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 23–37 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 7–15 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; pilose; hairy adaxially, or on both sides. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open, or contracted; oblong; dense; 6–9 cm long; 3–4.8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; profusely divided; 3–4 cm long; naked below, or bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches bearded in axils.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising (5–)9–13 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 4.2–7 mm long; 2–3.2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla deciduous; disarticulating below groups of fertile florets. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.
GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.1–2.1 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.5–2.5 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma ovate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.5–0.9 mm wide; membranous; grey; shiny; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1.5–2 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned all along. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 2; 0.2 mm long; brown.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or ovoid; without sulcus; 0.6–0.8 mm long; dark brown; reticulate; obtuse. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.
NOTES Eragrostideae. Boechat & L-W 2003.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
