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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.
Eriachne compacta
HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 5–40 cm long; 4–6 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; ridged. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches ample, or fastigiate. Leaf-sheaths loose; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; wider than blade at the collar; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2–0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 2.5–4 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; pilose; hairy adaxially; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scaberulous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.
Panicle capitate; ovate; 0.5–2.5 cm long; 0.5–1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 0.4–0.8 cm long.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–2 mm long.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus 0.5 mm long; bearded; obtuse.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 5–6 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough above. Lower glume apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume ovate; 5–6 mm long; 1.2–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 9–11 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough above. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; laterally compressed; 4–4.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above; pilose; hairy below. Lemma margins involute; eciliate, or ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3–4 mm long overall. Palea coriaceous; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliate; adorned above. Palea surface smooth, or scabrous (above); pilose; hairy below. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.5–0.6 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 1.2–1.6 mm long; dark brown. Embryo 0.25–0.33 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Eriachneae. Lazarides 1995.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
