Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis vernix Boechat & Longhi-Wagner

First published in Iheringia, Bot. 51: 181 (1998)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. Brazil. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 23-37 cm long; 3-4 -noded. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 7-15 cm long; 2-3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; pilose; hairy adaxially, or on both sides. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open, or contracted; oblong; dense; 6-9 cm long; 3-4.8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; profusely divided; 3-4 cm long; naked below, or bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches bearded in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising (5-)9-13 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 4.2-7 mm long; 2-3.2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla deciduous; disarticulating below groups of fertile florets. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising (5-)9-13 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 4.2-7 mm long; 2-3.2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla deciduous; disarticulating below groups of fertile florets. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.1-2.1 mm long; 0.7-0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.5-2.5 mm long; 0.75-1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma ovate; 2-2.5 mm long; 0.5-0.9 mm wide; membranous; grey; shiny; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex acute. Palea 1.5-2 mm long. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned all along. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 2; 0.2 mm long; brown.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or ovoid; without sulcus; 0.6-0.8 mm long; dark brown; reticulate; obtuse. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
South America: Brazil.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Boechat & L-W 2003.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0