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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Eriachne festucacea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls evident. Culms erect; 53–105 cm long; wiry; 3–5 -noded. Culm-internodes glaucous; smooth; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths loose; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.3–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or involute; 10–25 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; glabrous; hairless except near base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 5.5–13 cm long; 1.5–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 4–8 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous; with scattered hairs, or glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–15 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 6–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 6–10 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 11–13 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–10 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; cartilaginous; with scarious margins; without keels; 11–13 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile florets free at tip (straight), or recurved at tip. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; laterally compressed; 5–8 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough above; with 2 longitudinal grooves; pilose; hairy below. Lemma margins involute; ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn straight, or curved; 4–10 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea surface pilose; hairy below. Palea apex entire.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.3–0.5 mm long. Anthers 3; 3 mm long; yellow.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 1.4–2 mm long; light brown; obtuse. 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.