Eragrostis viscosa

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 10–40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths viscid. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 4–10 cm long; 2–5 mm wide; viscid.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 4–15 cm long. Panicle branches glandular; viscid; glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 1.5–4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.6–1.2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; glandular (on keel); viscid; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.6–1.2 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; glandular (on keel); viscid; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 0.7–1.4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse; muticous, or mucronate (obscurely). Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.2–0.3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.5–0.7 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and middle Atlantic ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, and Malesia. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, and western South America.

NOTES Eragrostideae. FTEA.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS Palea hairs 0.1–0.5mm.

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