Eriochloa aristata

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50–80 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 10–25 cm long; 5–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth to scabrous; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–4 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 7–15 cm long; with scattered hairs, or glabrous. Rhachis angular; with scattered hairs, or glabrous on surface. Spikelet packing regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; scabrous; bearing a few hairs, or glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; (5–)5.5–7 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus globular; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above; pilose; hairy above. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–3 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; 5 -veined; scabrous; rough above; pilose; hairy below; acuminate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5–3.5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southwest USA and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, and northern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Nov Gal 1994.

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