Eragrostis majungensis

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; slender; 40–60 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 6–12 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex apiculate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate, or pyramidal; effuse; 15–25 cm long; 9–10 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 1–2 -nate; 4–11 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous; glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels flexuous; 5–12 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 10–15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 1.5–2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long; obscured by lemmas; glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 0.6–0.8 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 1–1.2 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 1.3–1.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1.2 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Eragrostideae. Camus 2007.

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