Eriochloa pseudoacrotricha

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect; 20–100 cm long; 1–2.5 mm diam.; 2–5 -noded. Culm-nodes brown; pubescent. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths loose; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades involute; 15–30 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–10; borne along a central axis; appressed; unilateral; 2–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 7–18 cm long. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 0.5–2.5 mm long; bearing a few hairs; hairy at tip; with 2–3 mm long hairs.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 4.5–6 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 villous; hairy below. Upper glume apex acuminate to setaceously attenuate; 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; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea involute; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia. South America: southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl NSW 1993.

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