Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Ehrharta Thunb.

Ehrharta bulbosa Sm.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Cape Prov.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms 35-70 cm long; swollen at the base; forming an ovoid corm. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 6-35 cm long; 4-8 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins unthickened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open, or contracted; linear; equilateral; 7-20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 1-3 -nate; simple. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.9 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 0.33-0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic (margins involute below); 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined; prominently veined (below); rugose; rough throughout; ciliolate on midvein; obtuse; muticous, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 1-2 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of lower sterile floret; cartilaginous; rugose above; ciliolate on midvein; acute; muticous, or awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 1-2 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 6-9 mm long; cartilaginous; shiny; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous.
Distribution
Africa: south.
Reference
Ehrharteae. Gr S Afr 1993.
Diagnostic
Corms white dull separate.

Native to:

Cape Provinces

Ehrharta bulbosa Sm. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Ecklon, U.J. [907], South Africa K000345440 Yes
Harvey [s.n.], South Africa K000345442 Yes
Pappe [s.n.], South Africa K000345441 Yes

First published in Pl. Icon. Ined.: t. 33 (1789)

Accepted by

  • Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0