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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 walteri
HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or mat forming, or caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 20–110 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 5–10 cm long; 2–4.5 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; ovate; 7–8 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches bearing spikelets almost to the base.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 7–15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 4–7 mm long; 1.5–3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla deciduous; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2.25 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume ovate; 2.25 mm long; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; lanceolate in profile; 2 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma apex acute, or acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Palea keels thickened; eciliate. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.6–1 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.
NOTES Eragrostideae. Gr S Afr 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.