Eriochloa villosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms geniculately ascending; 60–90 cm long; 2–3 mm diam.; 3–6 -noded. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths pubescent; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 1.25–1.33 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 5–20 cm long; 3–13 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–9; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 4–7 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 6–12 cm long; pubescent. Rhachis angular; 0.7–1 mm wide; pubescent on surface. Spikelet packing regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 1 mm long; tip discoid.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; acute; 4.5–5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus globular; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic, or ovate; 1 length of spikelet; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acute; muticous.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic, or ovate; 1 length of spikelet; 5 -veined; pilose; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 4 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea involute; indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Caucasus, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Paniceae. Koyama 1993.

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