Eragrostis divaricata Cope

Gramineae, T. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:2. 1999

Morphology General Habit

Slender annual; culms up to 30 cm tall, erect, unbranched, glabrous at the nodes, eglandular; leaf sheaths glabrous; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 3–8 cm long, c. 0.5 mm in diameter, setaceous and tightly convolute, glabrous, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 3–8 cm long, broadly ovate, very loose and open with widely divaricate branchlets and pedicels, the spikelets evenly distributed on filiform pedicels 3–6 mm long, the primary branches not in whorls, terminating in a fertile spikelet, the branches, branchlets and pedicels long-pilose (sometimes with only a single hair) on a conspicuous swelling in the axils, eglandular (except on the axillary swelling).Spikelets 1.3–1.8 × 0.7–0.9 mm, narrowly ovate, laterally compressed, 2–3-flowered, the florets disarticulating from the apex downwards, the rhachilla fragile; glumes subequal, 0.8–1.1 mm long, reaching to about the middle of the adjacent lemmas, keeled, narrowly lanceolate in profile, glabrous, acute at the apex; lemmas 1.1–1.3 mm long, keeled, elliptic in profile, thinly membranous but with conspicuous lateral nerves, not imbricate, the rhachilla visible between them, olive-green, glabrous, obtuse at the apex; palea glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, wingless, scabrid; anthers (?)2, c. 0.3 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis c. 0.8 mm long, elliptic.

Morphology General Habit

Annual. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms erect; 35-40 cm long. Culm-internodes eglandular. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths eglandular; without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 3-8 cm long; 0.5 mm wide; eglandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 3-8 cm long. Primary panicle branches branching divaricately. Panicle branches eglandular; bearded in axils; with prominent pulvini. Spikelets spreading; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; 3-6 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 1.3-1.8 mm long; 0.7-0.9 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 1.3-1.8 mm long; 0.7-0.9 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.8-1.1 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.8-1.1 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.1-1.3 mm long; membranous; dark green; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 2; 0.3 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.8 mm long.

Distribution

Africa: southern tropical.

Reference

Eragrostideae. Cope 1996.