Eriochloa crebra

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 60–100 cm long; 2–5 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths tight, or loose; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 8–25 cm long; 2–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–25; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1.5–5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–25 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing crowded.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 1–2 mm long; bearing a few hairs; hairy at tip; with 2.5 mm long hairs.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; dorsally compressed; acute, or acuminate; 3.7–4.2 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 ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy below. Upper glume apex acute; muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; 5 -veined; pilose; hairy below; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 3 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Principal lemma awn 1 mm long overall. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl NSW 1993.

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