Eriochloa stapfiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms robust; 60–120 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 4–20 cm long; 3–8 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–7 cm long; simple, or secondarily branched. Central inflorescence axis 7–30 cm long. Rhachis angular; puberulous on surface, or pubescent on surface. Spikelet packing irregular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 3–4 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 pubescent. Upper glume apex attenuate; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume awn 1 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; 5 -veined; pubescent; acuminate; mucronate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0.3–0.7 mm long overall. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical, southern tropical, and south.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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